For almost five years now, Pelicans fans have eagerly awaited the moment when Zion Williamson, their top pick from the 2019 NBA Draft, would finally hit the postseason court.
This Tuesday night marks his debut in a playoff game since his time as a star player for Duke during the NCAA Tournament.
In the upcoming Western Conference play-in game, the 7th-seeded New Orleans Pelicans will host the 8th-seeded Los Angeles Lakers, led by basketball legends LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who was once a top pick for the Pelicans in 2012.
Coach Willie Green expressed pride in Zion’s achievement, emphasizing the hard work he’s put in. This playoff debut is a significant milestone for him.
Throughout his first four years, Williamson showed glimpses of his immense potential, blending size, skill, and athleticism. However, injuries, including to his knee, hand, foot, and hamstring, have plagued him, limiting his playing time to just 114 games.
Until this season, Williamson hadn’t played in more than 29 games in a single season. His most active year was in his second season (2020-21), where he averaged impressive stats but was sidelined by a finger injury, causing the Pelicans to miss out on the playoffs.
He didn’t play at all in his third pro season due to a foot injury. The Pelicans managed to make it to the play-in tournament and even advanced to the playoffs without him.
In his fourth season, Williamson scored an average of 26 points in 29 games before a hamstring injury sidelined him. Although the Pelicans made it to the Western Conference play-in again, they were eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder in just one game.
This season, Williamson has played a career-high 70 games, scoring an average of 22.9 points per game, the highest on the team.
According to coaches and teammates, Williamson’s fitness and understanding of the game have improved since the start of the season, when he occasionally sat out games.
“I wasn’t at my best initially,” Williamson said. “But I worked hard to get there, and my coaches and teammates noticed the progress and trusted me more.”
Coach Green noted that Williamson’s skills have developed significantly on and off the court, considering his limited NBA experience before this season.
“I’ve seen Zion grow a lot in various aspects, from his fitness and skill development to his ability to read the game and respond to different defensive strategies,” Green said. “He’s become a great passer when teams focus on defending the paint.”
“He’s improved a lot this year, especially on defense, where he’s doing better at guarding opponents, being in the right spots, and grabbing rebounds,” Green remarked. “So, we’ve seen a lot of progress from him.”
In the Pelicans’ last 29 games, Williamson only missed one game, and that was because he hurt his shooting hand while blocking a shot. But he was back for the next game against Phoenix, where he scored 29 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out seven assists, and had five blocks.
Williamson’s ball-handling skills are reminiscent of a guard, a position he played when he was younger before he grew taller. Often, he brings the ball up the court and starts the offense, which is why he’s sometimes called “point Zion.”
Despite this, he’s still dominant in the paint, using his quick moves and jumping ability to slam down powerful dunks.
After several impressive games toward the end of the regular season, Williamson emphasized the importance of showing his teammates that he’s fully committed to contributing in various ways, whether it’s through hustle plays, defense, passing, or scoring.
His teammates are happy to have him back for the playoffs, but they also understand the need to avoid relying too heavily on him alone.
“We’re really happy to see him in the spotlight, but he’s not under any more pressure than the rest of us,” said Pelicans veteran forward Larry Nance Jr.
In the Pelicans’ last game of the regular season, a 124-108 loss to the Lakers, Williamson didn’t play his best. Guarded mostly by James, he only scored 12 points. Later, he admitted he felt he wasn’t aggressive enough.
Coach Green agreed with Williamson’s assessment. “He understands the game well. He knows when to be aggressive and when to involve his teammates,” the coach said.
He pointed out that in the Pelicans’ previous four wins, Williamson did a great job of mixing up his play and finding opportunities to attack. “We just need to get back to that,” Green added.
