Zion Williamson has the league on notice with a breakout sophomore season.
There are times when certain players come along that we realize are destined for greatness. We saw it in Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, and, most recently, LeBron James. Now comes the emergence of Zion Williamson and the potential greatness he exudes.
Williamson began his ascension to superstardom as a high school All-American and gave us glimpses of his of what he is capable of when he starred as a freshman at Duke.
As expected, he was taken by the New Orleans Pelicans with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2019 NBA Draft with the hopes of saving a franchise who had just lost their All-NBA franchise cornerstone in Anthony Davis.
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Williamson’s rookie year didn’t go quite as expected due to him missing the first 44 games of the season after undergoing knee surgery. When Williamson was finally healthy enough to get on the court, he showed why he was worthy of the No. 1 selection as he scored 22 points while grabbing seven boards to go along with three assists in 18 minutes of action in his NBA debut.
He scored double-figures in every game he played in except for one as fans and the Pelicans organization began to notice just how great Williamson could be as he finished his rookie season averaging 22.5 points per game.
Turn the page to Williamson’s sophomore season and we are watching the evolution of the next great superstar who is expected to become the next face of the NBA once LeBron James calls it a career. Now that he has remained healthy for the most part this season, Williamson is finally coming into his own and is figuring out how to attack defenses.
He is using their weaknesses and vulnerabilities against them by taking advantage of his strong, broad frame while combining elite agility and size to bulldoze his way to the basket. At only 20 years old, Williamson still has the opportunity to improve his game and get even better which is scary considering how dominant he is right now.
If he can become a consistent shooter, it will be almost impossible to contain him on the offensive end. Williamson is so strong driving to the basket that opponents can only hope that he misses the shot or that multiple defenders can force him to pass or take a bad shot. Williamson may very well be the best inside scorer since a young LeBron James entered the league.
His unique jumping ability gives him a definite advantage as he plays way above the rim and it’s amazing how fluid he is off the dribble for a man of his stature as a great finisher with or without contact. Williamson’s combination of finesse and brute force is very rare for a player his size but has craftiness, a quick first step, and handles that make him a special player.
Head coach Stan Van Gundy has made Williamson the primary focal point of the offensive attack which has created more scoring opportunities for him. With one of the most unique skill sets in the NBA, let’s hope that the Pelicans continue to build around Williamson because he is just beginning to scratch the surface of his enormous potential.