NBA 2K27 sparks an intriguing Zion Williamson experiment the Pelicans should try

NBA 2K27 may have just handed the New Orleans Pelicans an interesting position change to consider, kind of.

I finally did it, pulling the trigger and buying NBA 2K27. Yes, I know I probably shouldn’t have, but I missed doing rebuilds way too much. Some background on me: I love doing rebuilds, but I try to do them realistically and 2K’s standard rosters don’t provide a path to doing that. So I typically look elsewhere for rosters. I stumbled across ones made by a user named mistercina.

He does great work: accurate shot tendencies, player accessories, and just that little extra effort that 2K typically neglects. His Twitter/X account is embedded below.

When I selected the Pelicans to do my first rebuild of the year, something caught me off guard: this roster had Zion Williamson’s primary position set to center. Now, on standard rosters, Zion is a power forward, and that’s where most fans expect him to start next season, especially with the emergence of Yves Missi. But the thought of Zion playing the five for certain stretches is something I really like, given the work we’ve been seeing him put in across social media.

Zion at the five could be super fun

One of the big things that it felt like New Orleans needed to prioritize this summer was adding some veteran presence at the five. The other big one was floor spacing. They didn’t really do either, but having Zion play the five could help open things up more.

At times last season, interim head coach James Borrego experimented with Herb Jones, Saddiq Bey, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, and Zion lineups to start games. Those were his five best players and, in theory, would give the team the best chance to win. But the thing worth noting is Jones was typically the one playing the five defensively and not Z. That part of the approach shouldn’t change if the Pelicans try to experiment with no big-man lineups.

The issue that New Orleans ran into was they were getting killed on the glass. None of those five players listed above are high-profile rebounders, and it created problems, but it’s fixable. The Pelicans tried to play a run-and-gun pace under Borrego, and while it was okay at times, when you have no true big down low, you can’t have players abandoning the glass and looking to run the break.

So if the Pelicans are to try out Zion at the five again this season, there needs to be an understanding that when these lineups are being run, they need to play slower. Everyone needs to crash the defensive glass, and that also will help the offense.

Sure, when you’re playing small, getting down the court using speed and athleticism to get easy transition twos is valuable, but if the defense catches up, you're cooked. That’s why you slow things down and let Zion operate as a hub on the block or around the free-throw line. The Pelicans have a ton of great cutters, and when they run these small lineups, they can ensure Zion is surrounded by the team's best shooters.

Imagine a lineup with Jones playing the five defensively and, offensively, being a screener, cutter, and hopefully, if his shot comes back to life, an effective shooter, while having Zion manning the offense from the free-throw line like Jokic. You could then surround those two with Murphy III, Bey, and let's say Bryce McGowens, who all space the floor and move well off the ball. That could really be something.

The Pelicans are a deep group, and to maximize the roster, some creativity is going to be needed—going small is just another option for the coaching staff. I’m not saying Jamahl Mosley needs to go all in on this concept the way Borrego did, but for certain matchups, running lineups featuring Zion at the five could be great for stretches.

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