David Griffin's ambitious challenge for Zion Williamson is potential game-changer

The New Orleans Pelicans were an organization with a lot of goals set out for them this summer. The team cleared a lot of their benchmarks but also came up short in quite a few areas as well. They were able to trade for an All-Star by acquiring Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks. They locked down one of their most important reserves on a team-friendly contract with the Jose Alvarado extension.

But they came away from the summer with a shoddy center rotation, and no easy solutions to fix it. They still have yet to reach a deal with either Brandon Ingram or Trey Murphy III and are currently in danger of losing both of them in free agency next offseason.

On an individual level, Zion Williamson had himself a fantastic furlough after last year. He very clearly got in shape, and I mean great shape. He also spent a good chunk of his time off traversing China with his Jordan Brand brothers like Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum. Most importantly, he had a whole offseason that was dedicated to basketball, without any intensive injury rehabilitation or looming contract talks. But, there's still plenty of work for him to do once the season begins, and Vice President David Griffin has levied a specific challenge on him.

David Griffin challenges Zion Williamson to take more jumpers

When asked what they're looking for from Zion in the upcoming season, David Griffin had this to say:

"Shoot more of the shots he’s capable of shooting that he never seems to take. Zion can really shoot the ball. I think we are looking at his offseason as an opportunity for him."

Zion entered the NBA as one of the most prolific slashers and paint threats in the game from day one. He's a relentless force attacking the basket, equipped with a lethal combination of size, athleticism, and skill that makes him a mismatch for nearly every defender in the league. Every opposing team and defender knows exactly what Zion wants to do with the ball, but they still are rarely able to stop it without sending multiple bodies at him.

As much as he's been an unstoppable force going to the cup, he's also been one of the most injury-riddled players in the league since he arrived. The strain that's been put on his legs, appendages that routinely send a behemoth flying through the air, is unimaginable to the average human being.

Becoming more of a jump shooter should significantly lessen the load on his body, something that all the greats embrace as they age and mature. Not only will becoming more of a shooter alleviate his physical strain, it would unlock his game and make the Pelicans a much more dangerous team.

Defenders regularly sag off of Zion to provide themselves a cushion in hopes of stopping his drives. He's been able to counter that by using it as a runway and being an overall athletic anomaly, but it doesn't always work. Being able to consistently and confidently pull up from deep whenever opponents give him space would make defenders second guess themselves, which will in turn open more opportunities for him to attack a less clogged paint. Becoming a more capable outside shooter will also provide his teammates more room to operate on the ball, make it easier for him to cut back door for easy buckets, and allow him to play off-ball and reserve his energy for key stretches.

Griffin believes that Zion can be a more avid shooter and is encouraging him to take more jump shots. Hopefully, that confidence will rub off on the superstar, as he spoke about his hesitations to shoot jumpers with candor:

"It’s honestly telling myself, ‘It’s OK to miss, I think that’s always been my mental hurdle since college. When I miss, I don’t want to feel like I’m just forcing up shots. I feel like once I get past that — and I feel like I mostly am — once I fully get past it, I’ll be all right."

Hopefully, his team's trust and encouragement will give him the mental fortitude necessary to meet Griffin's goal for him. Even if he maintains his percentages but increases his volume, it'll make him a much more diverse and unpredictable matchup, which should only benefit the Pelicans in the long run.