ESPN Analyst Has Lofty Prediction for New Orleans Pelicans Superstar

Zion Williamson's activity on the defensive end will go a long way towards the New Orleans Pelicans' success this season.

Apr 7, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) blocks the shot of Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic (20) during the first half at Footprint Center / Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has a ton of expectations riding on his shoulders this upcoming season.

The former No. 1 overall pick came off the healthiest year of his career and is the unquestioned best player on the Pelicans. Despite a season of health, Williamson has yet to play in a single playoff game in his five-year career.

He came close last season, but a hamstring injury suffered in the Play-In Tournament sidelined him for the remainder of the year. With New Orleans going the small-ball route, it will be important for Williamson to become a dominant force in the middle, on both sides of the ball.

They lost a lot of size from last season, with Jonas Valanciunas departing in free agency and Larry Nance Jr. and Cody Zeller traded away. Because of that, they seem content to a smaller lineup that plays at a faster pace this upcoming campaign.

"I know everybody thinks we have to invest in the center position a little bit," Griffin recently said during an interview during Summer League. "We are really excited about what we have now. We are excited to play small and fast."

The Pelicans experimented with Williamson playing center last season, and there were some stretches where it worked.

He will be asked to do that more often, so it will be key that he shows up big defensively to compensate for the lack of size on the roster.

ESPN's Kendrick Perkins thinks Williamson can have a similar defensive impact as Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green.

"If you're asking me: Can Zion [Williamson] be a Draymond Green defensively? I believe he can... Can Zion be a top 5 shot blocker in the [NBA] with that athleticism? I believe that he can... I actually like it with Zion playing the 5."

—Kendrick Perkinspic.twitter.com/lnVAicu9zd

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 1, 2024

A comparison to Green defensively is a tall task for any player in the NBA.

The multi-time champion is considered one of the best defenders of this generation and has the accolades to prove it. He won Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 and has been selected to the All-Defensive First Team four times and to the Second Team four times as well.

Williamson flashed some signs of commitment to the defensive end last year down the stretch.

In the last few weeks of the season when the Pelicans were jockeying for playoff positioning, he had five straight games of recording at least one steal and one block. He went eight straight games with at least one steal, and during the final month and a half, had multiple blocks five times.

Williamson will need to show this kind of commitment on a more consistent basis to be recognized with the likes of Green.

Whether he does or not remains to be seen, but a fully engaged Williamson will do nothing but boost the Pelicans' chances in the loaded Western Conference.

They are seeking to have three straight winning seasons for the first time in franchise history and are looking to advance past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

That will start and end with their star dominating on both sides of the court.