It’s safe to say that New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson is one of the most talked about young players in the league in a long time. Even without having played a second on an NBA court, Williamson’s potential in the league has fans and media alike extremely excited. According to new teammate J.J. Redick, he hasn’t seen this type of hype since LeBron James entered the league.
Speaking to Zach Lowe on The Lowe Post podcast (via Rookie Wire), Redick said that he believes Williamson is “no doubt” the most hyped prospect in the NBA since LeBron James. He also credited the Pelicans front office and David Griffin for helping ease some of the pressure off of Williamson.
“I think part of it is the circumstance and part of it I think is an intentional thing that [general manager David Griffin] and the coaching staff and the front office has done in taking the pressure off of Zion. There is no question to me that he is the most hyped prospect since LeBron [James]. You have David Griffin come out and say this is Jrue [Holiday’s] team. … You’re bringing in a really interesting mix of guys where it’s promising young players like Lonzo and Brandon and then older vets like Derrick [Favors] and I and obviously Jrue is the guy. It’s an exciting team.”
Redick was also asked about his interactions with Williamson so far, and said that from what he’s seen, Zion is nice. “He’s a super-nice kid,” he said. “I think he is in a very interesting position because of the amount of responsibility that he has off of the court — he has this huge contract with Jordan [Brand], there are going to be a lot of people pulling at him — he has got such a great head on his shoulders. So, for me, it’s taking that slow and figuring out where I can help and where I can be an added value for him.”
While the Pelicans will now look to navigate life without superstar Anthony Davis, they were extremely lucky in landing the rights to draft Zion. Now, fans will once again be turning up to see another potential superstar in the making, and with a surprising team filled with depth, many are expecting great things out of New Orleans in the coming NBA season.
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