New Orleans Pelicans: The good and bad of Zion Williamson at center
How Zion Williamson playing center effects the New Orleans Pelicans’ defense
Before the season, I wrote about how Williamson at center was not a legitimate option yet because of his defensive shortcomings. I stand by that, even after his positives on the other end of the floor.
Van Gundy’s micro lineup carved out tons of space on the attack, but it did the same on defense. At this stage of his development, Williamson is a sieve on defense. The first nine games of the season have done nothing to placate those concerns.
Below, the Hornets get a good lookout of dribble penetration just as they had for the entire game. Redick’s closeout on Caleb Martin is bad, but Williamson does not protect the rim at all. He is essentially easily boxed out by PJ Washington and he can’t come over to contest Martin’s lay-up.
This play would not happen with Steven Adams on the floor. It shows that, while Williamson is a generational vertical athlete on the attack, he has a long way to go before he can be considered a genuine rim protector on defense.
It was concerning to see the Hornets rack up good shot after good shot with Williamson holding down the paint (or trying to). At one point, LaMelo Ball got an offensive rebound, the Hornets missed another shot, and Hayward then jumped over Williamson to tip the ball in.
On one of the Hornets’ next trips down the floor, James Borrego’s squad targeted Williamson in the pick-and-roll. This is a big weakness for him. Williamson was too slow recovering and generally looked lost, resulting in a foul and two free throws for Hayward down the stretch. Van Gundy subbed Adams back into the game shortly thereafter.
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It’s a shame that Williamson at center is not a tenable option on defense yet for the Pelicans because of the improvements he brings on the attack. Like we’ve written about extensively, New Orleans desperately needs to find an offensive groove.
The Pelicans have gone from one of the best attacks in the NBA to one of the worst. Williamson will undoubtedly be part of the solution, but he has to iron out his defense first.