3 players who’ve stepped up as Pelicans wait for Zion Williamson
By Willie Lutz
As the New Orleans Pelicans await the debut of Zion Williamson, a handful of birds have made their mark during an overall slow start.
Drafted first overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, many fans weren’t expecting to have to wait so long to watch Zion Williamson play his first game in a Pelicans uniform. As he recovers from surgery, the rest of the Pelicans have been tasked with the tough art of learning to play as a new team.
Zion Williamson is a brilliant basketball player and is going to be in a Pelicans’ jersey eventually, but for now, a cast of mostly young players has to start finding their flow.
It hasn’t help that the team continues to struggle with injuries, as starting center Derrick Favors has only played in 9 games so far this season. On the other hand, Jrue Holiday‘s struggles at the start of the year really hurt early-season momentum.
Over the first quarter of the season, the birds have slumped their way to the bottom of the Western Conference, with just a two-game lead on the New York Knicks and the injury-bereft Golden State Warriors for the worst record in the league.
Despite an overall frustrating start to the season, there have been positives starting to emerge, be it from younger players growing into their roles or this team shooting the heck out of the ball from three-point range.
While the team has to get better on the defensive end, as their 119.7 points allowed per game is the second-worst, even though the team isn’t getting blown out with any regularity.
Upon the return of Zion Williamson, there’s evidence this team could quickly turn the corner to become a much more formidable force in the West. Until then, they’ll have to hope players keep stepping up into the roles Alvin Gentry needs them to play.