New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson is only 19-years-old but already has a signature move that is nearly unstoppable in the paint.
No one really knew what to expect when Zion Williamson made his debut for the New Orleans Pelicans.
He was wearing a large knee brace and there was speculation that he was out of shape, overweight and that the Pelicans may be foolish to let him come back at all.
It didn’t take long for Zion Williamson to prove his doubters wrong.
He dominated from the get-go, unleashing a combination of power and leaping ability that is rarely seen in any sport, especially for a guy who weighs 285 lbs.
There are part of Zion’s game that are raw and need refinement; he could use a post move that doesn’t involve just bowling people over, he needs to develop more range on his shot, his handles and passing can improve and like all rookies, he has a lot to learn about defense.
But the things that Zion Williamson does well can’t be taught, as you can’t coach someone into having a 45-inch vertical leap.
This leaping ability has proven to be especially useful on the offensive glass, where Zion is often able to corral his own misses and slam it back home before most defenders even known what is happening.
This is possible because of his ridiculously fast second jump, where Zion is able to take a shot and get back up faster than anyone else to collect the miss.
The double jump is part science, part myth and can be Zion Williamson’s signature offensive move for the New Orleans Pelicans, at least in the early stages of his career.
Zion doesn’t need to be Hakeem Olajuwon and would be smart to cultivate a move that takes advantage of what he does best, which is jump higher and faster than just about anyone we’ve ever seen.