New Orleans Pelicans Star Ranked Amongst Best Duke Players Of All-Time

The New Orleans Pelicans all-star is still recognized amongst the greats at his college.

Oct 10, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) smiles before a game against the Orlando Magic at the Smoothie King Center. / Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports

A lot of great basketball players have played for Duke University. The storied college has won five NCAA championships since 1991, placing them among the upper echelon of college basketball. New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson played just one year at Duke, but he left an indelible impression during his time there.

Williamson was already a star even before he stepped foot on campus. His viral high school videos at Spartanburg Day High School made him an internet sensation and thrust him to the number one overall recruit in 2018. He eventually committed to Duke and his stardom only continued to rise from there.

While at Duke, he averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. His 40.8 PER (Player Efficiency Rating) is the highest single-season rating for a player in college since they started tracking the stat in 2009. Williamson won the Freshman of the Year Award, National Player of the Year, and was the unquestioned consensus Number 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.

Another former Duke freshman phenom Paolo Banchero was recently asked to rank his top five Duke players of all time and understandably Williamson made the list. Banchero's lone year at Duke saw him win the ACC Rookie of the Year and be named to the All-American Team. He was a number one overall pick like Williamson to the NBA.

Banchero certainly had a litany of Duke greats to choose from on his list, but he settled at Williamson, JJ Redick, Jayson Tatum, and Jahlil Okafor. Many people may read the list and wonder where greats like Grant Hill or Christean Laettner are, as they won multiple championships at Duke. They also played all four years, while players like Tatum and Irving only stayed one season.

Keep in mind, Banchero is only 21 and wasn't even born when Hill and Laettner played for Coach K at Duke. A recent CBSSports article ranked the best players to play for legendary coach Krzyzewski during his 42 years with the program. Williamson finished Number 4 on that list, right behind Laettner, Hill, and Jay Williams. No matter how you slice it, Zion is amongst the greatest to ever put on a Blue Devils uniform.

Williamson is trying to replicate that dominance in the NBA when he enters his sixth season this year. Injuries have derailed much of his potential to start his career, but he's coming off the healthiest season of his career after playing 70 games last year. New Orleans gave him a max rookie extension in 2022 worth $197 million in guarantees.

Talent has never been the issue with him, it's whether he can stay healthy enough. The Pelicans are banking on continued health from him so they can advance farther in the Western Conference than before. If he can lead New Orleans to be contenders, then he'll be considered at the top of the Pelicans franchise as well.