Zion’s Jab Step Can Carry the New Orleans Pelicans to Playoffs

If the New Orleans Pelicans manage to make the playoffs, they’ll be carried by the elite footwork of rookie Zion Williamson.

The New Orleans Pelicans will have a tough road to the playoffs, but luckily they have Zion Williamson to carry them.

The 19-year-old rookie took over the highlight reels after his return, mostly through his high flying dunks and alley-oops from Lonzo Ball.

But the big guy is far more than dunks. He already has elite footwork, especially for someone his size.

Fans tend to focus on the difficulty level of all the passes from Lonzo, but fail to recognize that it’s Zion’s footwork and positioning that makes it happen. He also has the soft hands to go up and catch passes, as he does here after using a quick spin move to get open.

That highlight reel is full of plays that show the chemistry Zion Williamson and Lonzo Ball have developed in just 19 games, as well as Zion’s footwork, which already looks like that of a ten year veteran.

Zion’s jab step could be the move that carries the New Orleans Pelicans to the playoffs.

One of Zion’s most effective moves is the jab step, which has been used by everyone from Carmelo Anthony to LeBron James.

Zion Williamson is 285 lbs. and has one of the quickest first steps in the NBA, especially going left, which is why the jab step is so effective. Defenders are so worried Zion is going to blow by them and make a poster, that they bite on the jab step nearly every time.

This one is just embarrassing:

Of course, Zion Williamson won’t be using the jab step for stepback 3-pointers too often but it is just as effective in the post.

The last eight games of the season are essentially must-win and will have a playoff feel. The game slows down, isolation becomes more common and the best players take over.

Slowing things down might not seem to benefit the New Orleans Pelicans, but that’s where Zion’s jab step comes in.  If the Pelicans are ever struggling on offense or the long-range shots aren’t falling, they can turn to Zion in the post, where he is nearly unstoppable.

Zion jabs, the defender bites and while he is off balance, Zion blows by or through him. It’s as simple as it is deadly, and could be the move that carries the New Orleans Pelicans to the playoffs.