New Orleans Pelicans: Takeaways from Zion Williamson’s debut
By Cody Larson
Pels’ shooting coach needs a raise
Zion’s four 3’s last night were all made in a quick time frame of 2:34; he had never made more than three 3’s in a game during his time at Duke. It’s illogical to assume he’ll continue chucking up anything even relatively close to that for the rest of the year, but it’s a very promising sign for Zion, considering the normal trajectory of players who “need a jump shot.”
The real unsung hero here is New Orleans’ shooting coach, Fred Vinson. At this rate – also considering the progression of both Ingram’s and Lonzo’s jump shots – Vinson should be a dark horse candidate for the Coach of the Year award (hyperbolically speaking).
If he seemingly sparks a similar growth in Zion’s release, he will be owed him a very long round of applause (and perhaps an increase in pay) at the end of the season for his work.