Will former Duke star Zion Williamson have the stats to support a Rookie of the Year campaign with the New Orleans Pelicans? Only if he learns to excel in all parts of the pick and roll.
The New Orleans Pelicans expect Zion Williamson to play enough minutes to win NBA Rookie of the Year honors. This could lead to him having better stats with the New Orleans Pelicans this season than he had with the Duke Blue Devils last year. That will only be possible if he can excel in all functions of the pick and roll.
Williamson averaged 30 minutes per game, playing 33 games in a Duke Blue Devils uniform. One of those games was cut short due to a shoe malfunction. Zion expects no major decrease in minutes and his Jordan endorsement will keep him in quality kicks.
He found 13.2 shots per game, averaging exactly nine made attempts. They were not all dunks and layups. Williamson’s shot chart ventured out to the arc. He averaged 2.2 three-pointers per game. making .338% of those attempts. He should see three attempts per game, and if he can maintain close to 34% he should draw out most frontcourt defenders.
The college game is compressed already due to the short three-point line. Duke’s offense was hampered all year by a lack of shooting, around Zion. Williamson was an above-average shooter for most of Duke’s season. When Derrick Favors or Jahlil Okafor act as the rim rolling screener, Williamson has to prove he deserves the respect that creates enough space for the play to work for everyone else on the team.
He did not get the credit after many games at Duke because he did not end the game with the ball on the perimeter. That is where the biggest college highlights had been made in the time between Anthony Davis and Zion Williamson.
Still, Zion should not have been taking almost as many mid-range two points and three-point jumper opportunities as he had on the low block. RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish actually turned out to be subpar fits around Zion. Duke almost never was able to run a proper pick and roll. Entering the ball into Zion on the block led to immediate double- and triple-team looks.
Anytime Williamson catches the ball on a pick and pop, he should have the confidence to take the shot, should be he set behind the arc. Any catch inside the three-point line should see Zion with space to drive. With a quick first step, Zion should be able to draw more shooting fouls.
It is obvious Zion Williamson will need to improve his shooting to reach his full potential as an NBA player. That is true of everyone besides Steph Curry. Putting Zion on a wing and having him watch the pick and roll action is not the best use of his talents. Can Williamson handle the ball to initiate the pick and roll action?
There is only one way to find out. Alvin Gentry can make almost everyone happy by just giving Zion Williamson the ball and watching him improvise until he learns. That might not lead to as many wins as the team’s playoff expectations require, going by historical similarities.