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It’s official. The arrival of Zion has a set date. Zion Willamson, that is. January 22nd will mark the debut of the phenom out of Duke. He will get his first taste of the real NBA against the San Antonio Spurs. Williamson dominated the preseason, averaging over 20 points per game and shooting a ridiculous 71% from the field over those four games. It seemed as if we were on our way to witness the most hyped prospect since Lebron James. Unfortunately, the preseason doesn’t hold much weight and neither could Williamson’s body. After what was initially called knee soreness, it was revealed that Williamson tore his meniscus and would require surgery. There are speculations that the injury was due to his weight, which is currently listed at 280 pounds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhru-EvtiXM
The injury brought league-wide disappointment and even more questions, criticisms, and analysis for Zion and the Pelicans. Does he need to lose more weight? Should the Pelicans shut him down for the year? Should they bring him back to help the team make a playoff push? The Pelicans are only four games behind the eighth seed which is currently held by the Memphis Grizzlies. The presence of the number one pick would help the team in several ways immediately.
He is expected to be a contributor on defense, with his athleticism and ability to guard multiple positions. He will be needed to rebound, which might be his most important right now. He is also expected to provide the team with another ball-handler who can create for himself and take the pressure off of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Jrue Holiday. As important as all those skills are, they will be secondary initially. The most important thing to look for will be Zion’s ability to mesh with this young core that the Pelicans are expected to build their future around. Brandon Ingram is having his best year as a pro, averaging 25 points per game and almost 7 rebounds per game. How will Zion’s arrival affect his play? Will they be able to coexist seeing that Ingram is a ball-dominant wing that lives in the mid-range. Zion takes most of his shots primarily in the paint. Will the Pelicans be able to play Ingram and Williamson while spacing the court for each to thrive?
All these questions make Zion’s arrival that much more anticipated. The league is waiting. The media is waiting. We are all waiting. January 22nd is coming. Zion is coming.
