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.
The New Orleans Pelicans should include Zion Williamson in the initial pick and roll actions as much as possible.
The New Orleans Pelicans should include Zion Williamson in the initial pick and roll, including letting him run the point. Zion Williamson is always exciting with the ball in his hands, even standing around. The New Orleans Pelicans want him involved in the action as much as possible.
This action, whether as the second option or as the initiator of the pick and roll, will test Zion’s handling abilities as well as his passing vision. Having the ball in Zion’s forceful hands will also lead to more free throw opportunities.
Acting as the point guard allows Zion to keep the ball with momentum going forward. Not many can slow down his forceful drives. If Zion catches the ball on the move, he will have to see the shooter in the corner on that first dribble just as much as he sees another highlight dunk.
In college, Williamson got to the line for 6.2 free-throw attempts per game, making 3.9. His 64% success rate can flirt with 70% very soon. With more space than ever and at least keeping the status quo on attempts, Zion’s first step should lead to five points per game instead of his college four.
Playing around the same amount of minutes, Williamson’s ability to add easy free throws and open three-pointers will help boost his scoring average. Zion’s 22.6 points per game in college is a benchmark for his rookie season. Eclipsing 23 points per game would almost guarantee he win Rookie of the Year while leading other All-Rookie team awards.
And it all starts with a play that was tough to run at Duke. Due to the compressed paint space, the pick and roll options left Zion with limited opportunities to show his NBA ready abilities. Zion did not have his game stifled as much as Ben Simmons but the clogged paints and zone defenses kept much of Zion’s talent at bay through scheme alone.
Zion could also up his assist numbers acting as the pick and roll ball handler. Jrue wants to play off the ball more, Derrick Favors has the range, and J.J. Redick creates space as a respected, historical great shooter.
Why not let Zion show off his handles? He can drive just as well as Lonzo Ball, has the passing vision, and it not scared of contact leading to the charity stripe. Williamson had 2.1 assists per game last season, with a 14.9% assist rate when he had the ball. With better shooters and another rim-protecting finisher on the floor, Zion can be unleashed into space he has never seen before.
Williamson will improve on his 2.4 turnovers per contest, which was a problem. Zion turns the ball over 12.8 times per 100 possessions all while 28.6% of his teams’ possessions had him handle the ball. Still a teenager, Zion will grow into the role as he grows his NBA game. It would be interesting television though perhaps he will need to begin learning from the inside out in his rookie season.
The New Orleans Pelicans may find they have to build Zion Williamson’s pick and roll game from the inside out to the perimeter, instead of having him drive and shoot from long distance.
The clogged paint and short three-point line make it difficult to judge how some will translate their games to the NBA court, especially when judging big men’s shooting ability. It is rare that college frontcourt players get to handle the ball for much time. The New Orleans Pelicans know Zion Williamson can bang with the best NBA rebounders already.
Horns sets, hammer sets and the top of the key pick and roll are three staples of all NBA offenses. They are tough to run in college when there are four defenders willing to have a foot in the paint. Williamson had two ACC conference games against Jim Boeheim’s Syracuse 2-3 zone.
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The packed paint does help teams evaluate rebound talent though, and Williamson stands out in that part of the game. He grabbed 8.9 rebounds per game at Duke, with 3.5 coming on the offensive end. Williamson snagged 12.7% of all offensive rebounding opportunities and 18.0% on the defensive end.
The Big 3 of NBA plays will allow Zion more putback dunk rebounding opportunities when sitting in the dunker spots. Should Favors develop his elbow jumper, a screen freeing Zion on the weak side could lead to space under the rim for an alley-oop attempt or a putback dunk.
Likewise, should Holiday or Ball be up top with Favors acting as the screener, any action with Williamson and a shooter like Redick puts the defense in a tough spot. Jrue can jam and Favors can finish. That action will attract attention. However, defenders cannot lose sight of Redick on the perimeter or Zion running free to the rim. Not to mention the fifth player in this scenario, Brandon Ingram perhaps, working a wing isolated on a mismatched defender.
Zion can help the whole team thrive should he learn the nuances of each moving part of the NBA pick and roll. Should he do so, even more fans will jump on the New Orleans Pelicans bandwagon while watching those 30 nationally televised games.