Zion Williamson Is Special And So Are The Pelicans

Zion Williamson recorded a career-high 43 points on Wednesday night, as the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-118 to move back to the top-spot in the Western Conference.

When he is healthy, Zion Williamson is one of the most captivating players in the entire NBA.

Maybe he is not an elite three-point shooter, something many teams look for in young players nowadays, but Zion may very well be one of the strongest players in the league and his value to the New Orleans Pelicans is unmeasurable.

His ability to get to the rim and score is truly remarkable, especially since he is only listed at 6-foot-6. However, Williamson’s 285 pound frame makes him a complete mismatch for anyone who guards him.

Put a guard on Zion and he will just back them down into the paint, likely dunking over them with ease. Put a power forward or center on him and Zion will just blow past them with his athletic and explosive first step, dunking on them in the process.

No matter what you do, Zion Williamson will likely score when the ball is in his hands and on Wednesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he did just that.

Scoring a career-high 43 points, Williamson completely took over this game against the Timberwolves, scoring all but three of his points in the paint or at the free-throw line.

When you look at this game from a big picture standpoint though, what really sticks out is the fact that 33 of his 43 total points were scored in the second-half and he scored 14 of the Pelicans’ 33 fourth quarter points.

New Orleans’ roster as a whole is very balanced and even though All-Star forward Brandon Ingram has missed a chunk of time, they still have other key contributors around Zion Williamson in CJ McCollum, Jonas Valanciunas, Trey Murphy III, Naji Marshall and others.

Williamson’s four teammates listed above all scored in double figures against Minnesota on Wednesday night, but the plan of attack was very simple according to McCollum: “Get the ball to Z and get the f--- out the way,” CJ said after the game.

On a MISSION 😤

Zion scored the @PelicansNBA's final 14 PTS to close out the win! pic.twitter.com/8SXvG765iH

— NBA (@NBA) December 29, 2022

Possessing brute strength that we truly have not seen in the league since Shaquille O’Neal, Zion Williamson is able to get to his spots with ease and as mentioned earlier, he is a complete mismatch for any opposing player guarding him.

There is no stopping Zion when he gets going and even against an elite-level rim protector like Rudy Gobert, Williamson still found ways to score and get to the free-throw line with ease.

Take it to em ZION!!!! pic.twitter.com/XzT543S0Ty

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 29, 2022

“I want to win. I can’t just sit here and always say that I want to win. I’ve got to show it,” Williamson said. “It was just one of those things where my coach and my teammates were like, ‘Hey, go to work.’ They trusted what I would do with the basketball.”

Staying healthy has been key for Williamson this season, as that had not been the case his first three seasons in the league.

Entering his fourth season this year, Zion had missed close to 63 percent of the Pelicans’ total games since being drafted first overall in 2019. Changing his diet and really taking care of his body now, we are beginning to see Zion Williamson not only prove he is an All-Star talent, but someone who could potentially win the league’s MVP award.

“I think he's the MVP of our league,” Murphy said in regards to Williamson after Wednesday’s game. “You look at, we're one of the best teams in the West. He's leading us. He put up 43 on 21 shots. He scored the last 14 points, if I'm not mistaken. Like, he's different, man. I have never seen anything like this, and I'm just grateful to be his teammate.”

The night Zion Williamson had was truly remarkable, but what is even more important for the Pelicans is that this win over the Timberwolves moved them to 22-12 on the season, tied with the Denver Nuggets for first place in the Western Conference.

New Orleans has struggled to remain relevant in the West over the last few seasons and they have not posted over 40 wins since the 2017-18 season.

Sneaking into the playoffs via the Play-In Tournament a season ago, the Pelicans began to show glimpses of the potential they had and now this season, Willie Green is really getting the most out of his group, which is one of the better overall constructed rosters in the league.

They have three All-Star talents in Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram, they have a severely underrated big man in Jonas Valanciunas who plays his role to perfection, they have an All-Defensive player in Herbert Jones on the perimeter and New Orleans’ depth may be the best in the league with Trey Murphy III, Jose Alvarado, Larry Nance Jr., Naji Marshall and others.

This group is proving to be very special and while they may still be young and inexperienced compared to the likes of the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers, two other title contenders in the Western Conference, the Pelicans are putting the league on notice right now that they are a team to beat.

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