New Orleans Pelicans’ priority No. 1: Put Zion In A Position To Succeed
Whenever a franchise is fortunate enough to acquire a player like Williamson, it’s important to ensure his success by surrounding him with the right teammates, the right trainers, and the right coaches.
Expect Van Gundy to be more creative on offense when it comes to Williamson due to his ability to score in numerous ways. He could employ pick and rolls, off-ball screens, or dribble handoffs and minimize the way opposing teams defend against him. Look for Van Gundy to bring out Williamson’s potential and help him live up to the enormous expectations the same way he did with Howard in Orlando at the height of his career by designing an offense around him by surrounding him with perimeter shooters while allowing Howard to use his athleticism on the glass and in the post.
Van Gundy could possibly come up with a custom scheme for Williamson as he can take advantage of his unique skill set and supernatural ability. Williamson is an unbelievable playmaker for a guy his size and can do things like take the ball off the glass while leading the fast break. He can also make passes off the dribble and finish over bigger defenders in traffic.
There also must be a focus on Williamson’s fitness and health ensuring he does whatever is necessary to avoid injury and being out for extended periods allow him to see how important he is to the team. It will be interesting to see what Williamson will accomplish over the course of an entire season and watch how Van Gundy utilizes his talents.