NBA Talk #19 : Why Zion Williamson Will Make The Pelicans Forget Anthony Davis
What's up basketball fans! I am here again @dwin0603 to give you another exciting basketball discussion for another episode of NBA Talk, and today we will talk about Why Zion Williamson Will Make The Pelicans Forget Anthony Davis. Let's get started!
It was no surprise that the New Orleans pelicans drafted Zion Williamson as the first pick in the NBA Draft. The incredible things he can do on the court are well-documented when you factor in all the other artful moves General manager David Griffin has done in the wake of their superstar Anthony Davis leaving he has potentially created an explosive team that could unleash havoc on the rest of the NBA in order to get a sense of how Zion will fit in with coach Alvin Gentry's offense. Looking at how Julius Randle operated with the ball would be a great place to start. Of course, Randle is the same kind of athlete that Zion is but they do have remarkably similar body types are both lefty and there is a stylistic similarity that should be quite revealing considering all the drama that the Anthony Davis trade demand caused last season.
Gentry was just trying to keep his ship from sticking to the bottom of the NBA Ocean and their attack with the ball wasn't very complicated but here is what I was able to conclude. The first thing that jumped out at me is how much freedom Randle had to operate at the elbow primarily on the right side. This is a hot zone touch for him meaning once he got it there, he was going to pull his way to the basket when his dominant left-hand dribbles the right elbow touch allowed him to attack right into the middle and get to the front of the rim. I was impressed at how willing the team was to clear out the area for him let him take his time and use brute force to release his semi-awkward finishes at the basket and it was really helpful in allowing Randle to use his shiftiness off the dribble which would surprise his defender time and again allowing him to get to his dominant left and finish off the glass. Well, it shouldn't be too hard to imagine plugging Zion into the spot getting isolations at the elbow and while you can see some similarities to the use of his body to create space.
The difference in quickness and explosiveness is frightening he didn't get a ton of elbow catches while playing for Coach K at Duke and most of the offense they ran was suboptimal for him. But I think this low post catch near the 3-point line is similar to an elbow catch and while he overpowers two defenders here, this kind of double pump hanging shot will most likely get sent into the stands but if you needed a good example of the difference in movement pattern between Randle and Zion this is it, Williamson center of gravity is lower and the force he brings on his drives will make it hard for defenders to keep their balance while also offering some resistance. His spins off the right shoulder a nice touch is a skill that will serve him well in the NBA. Randle also got plenty of attack opportunities at the trail big man and Gentry spread offense as they would sprint the center to the block. He doesn't need too much room to get into the paint and turn over his left shoulder for the fade away from 7 feet in semi transition.
The focus for the offense is to spread as quickly as possible to open the lane area where Randle again uses his size to route the defender off his position then finish strong off the glass. Zion is much better attacking off the catch notice how he lifts both feet just before the ball gets there, and he can change directions at full speed to avoid defenders as well as anyone I've seen in a long time. And if NBA defenders aren't going to find him quickly as the ball is being pushed up the court he will no doubt punish them if he gets there before anyone with size is back to defend the rim and this brings us to transition something that pelicans look to do early and often according to synergy, they ranked 8th in the league in transition frequency but ranked almost last in efficiency well that's about to change. Zion will be the rare player who can grab a tough defensive rebound and break all by himself requiring at least two players to wall him off from the basket or else he'll score. I can't think of more than five or six players in the NBA right now who deserved this type of respect and Zion is about to join those ranks if you weren't sold on his ability to explode, change directions, maintain balance, and regain balance almost instantly.
We've already seen incredible athletes with no jump shot dominate the NBA game recently and he's already ahead of them with his jumper at this stage in his career so I don't expect it to be a huge issue for him in the regular season. This new Pelicans team is really exciting to me. They can throw a lineup out there with Jrue Holiday, Lonzo Ball in the backcourt, the perfect mix of offense and defense that can really be a problem for most other guard tandems in the league. Then you have Brandon Ingram and Zion at the forward spots. Ingram's length and scoring ability alongside Zion's explosiveness will be a load for teams on both ends of the floor.
That is all for today folks! I would love to hear your thoughts about this article, so drop your comments now and let's have some basketball talk. 😁
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