NBA: 3 big storylines to follow heading into the 2020 Christmas Day slate

Will this be Zion’s coming out party?

To open the Christmas Day slate, the New Orleans Pelicans will get the national spotlight as they hope to take the league by storm with their young core, led by Zion Williamson. Without the spotlight of the playoffs last season, this could be his coming out party if he puts on a show against the defending Eastern Conference champions Miami Heat.

During his regular-season debut, Zion scored 15 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out three assists. Even though the Pelicans were a fan-favorite heading into last season, Zion’s early-season injury put damps on all that momentum.

If Zion (along with Brandon Ingram and the rest of the team’s young core) could have a big game against Bam Adebayo and the Heat, there’s no question that he’ll have fans believing in the Pelicans again.