Where Does New Orleans Pelicans Star Zion Williamson Land In 5-Year Re-Draft?

How does New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson rank among his peers in a massive five-year, re-draft?

Mar 16, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) dribbles against Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton (2) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

With the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelicans selected Duke superstar, Zion Williamson. It was a selection everyone was excited about, as the franchise was looking for a new cornerstone.

The Pelicans have had some superstars and future Hall of Famers play for the franchise. But, keeping them has proven to be a challenge, as Chris Paul and Anthony Davis both sought opportunities elsewhere.

Williamson has teased New Orleans fans with his tantalizing potential. In a league full of players with otherworldly athleticism, there isn’t a player in the league who has the combination of size and athleticism that the Duke product has.

Given that level of potential, it would be fair to assume that Williamson is one of the best building blocks in the NBA. Over at Bleacher Report, that fun exercise was done.

The Bleacher Report staff put together a massive NBA re-draft including all of the players from the 2019-2023 classes. Where did the No. 1 pick from five years ago land?

He didn’t make it back down to the Pelicans, who selected 15th based on criteria of winning percentage the last five seasons. They came away with Detroit Pistons star point guard Cade Cunningham.

Williamson ended up being selected No. 7 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers. It feels evil to have an injury-prone star land with them after what the franchise has gone through with Sam Bowie, Brandon Roy and Greg Oden.

But, at that point of the exercise, the upside of Williamson was too much to pass up.

“But the threat looms that he still might, and at No. 7, our stand-in Joe Cronin leapt at the chance to get a true post-Damian Lillard franchise face. Aside from Victor Wembanyama and Anthony Edwards, no one else in this group has a higher ceiling than the New Orleans Pelicans power forward. Considering that possibly encompasses a league MVP and best-player-on-a-title-winner potential, this feels like a steal in the back half of the top 10,” Jay Dunbar wrote.

While the ceiling is sky-high with a player of Williamson’s caliber as the centerpiece, the floor is also dangerously low. Long-term injuries have plagued him during his NBA career, as he has played in fewer than 30 games in three out of five campaigns.

But, the risk in this situation is worth taking. A two-time All-Star, Williams is a legitimate difference-maker when on the court. If he can string together a few 70+ game seasons as he did in 2023-24, he would be the steal of this mega draft.