Zion Williamson or Ben Simmons? Which former #1 will bounce back?

Zion Williamson or Ben Simmons?

The Teams

Both Zion and Simmons will be joining teams that made the playoffs last season via the play-in tournament.

The Pels are building something special with the right balance of young talent, veteran leaders like CJ McCollum and hungry role players who know their jobs and do them well. The Pels have a deep roster and are building really nice chemistry with players that all seem to like each other.

Zion has a chance to thrive in the environment coach Willie Green has created and has a team full of guys that complement his skills. When you factor in talent, contracts and future assets, Zion is re-joining a team that has one of the best roster situations in the NBA.

While the Pelicans offseason has been relatively quiet and positive, the Nets have been the subject of non-stop rumors and speculation.

The Nets flamed out with the Harden, Irving, Durant trio in spectacular fashion, and even though Irving has opted in to his contract, Durant is far less certain and Harden is already gone.

Even if the Nets have all three of Durant, Irving and Simmons, there is a lot that could go wrong, especially now that Durant has made his displeasure with the direction of the team public. This has a chance to be one of the most toxic teams in the NBA, one that is going to be under constant scrutiny in the media whether is for Kyrie’s bonkers views, KD’s trade demands or Ben Simmons’ shooting and health.

It’s not a great situation for Simmons, who probably wishes he’d have been traded to the Kings so he could play without anyone watching.

Zion is clearly joining the better team situation, as the Nets are going to be the biggest soap opera in the NBA.

I hope Ben Simmons comes back strong, as I like to watch him play, but Zion is in the better position to succeed next season as long as he stays healthy.