The New Orleans Pelicans got one of their most impressive wins of the season on Tuesday, catching fire from beyond the arc en route to a 153-124 victory over the Utah Jazz. Zion Williamson was the only Pelicans regular not to take a three-pointer, but his fingerprints were still all over New Orleans' most potent offensive outing in franchise history.
The former No. 1 overall pick finished with 17 points on 8-of-12 from the field, among seven Pelicans who reached double-figures. It's Williamson's career-high 11 assists that loomed largest, an indication of not just New Orleans' red-hot long-range shooting but the imminent, unavoidable pressure the 6'6, 285-pound wrecking ball puts on defenses as a primary ball handler.
After the game, Williamson credited his coaches and teammates for fully embracing his role against Utah as New Orleans' de facto point guard.
“Just my coaches and my teammates kinda trusting me to be ‘Point Zion' throughout most of the game,” Williamson said of the driving force behind his 11 assists. “I would say that definitely helped. You just kinda get a feel for the game and you just get a feel for where my teammates gonna be at.”
Why ‘Point Zion' is Pelicans' best path toward championship contention
C.J. McCollum started at point guard on the score sheet Tuesday night, just as he has all season. But Williamson was the Pelicans' closest thing to a floor general versus the Jazz, routinely bringing the ball up the floor and initiating half-court offense whether grabbing and going himself or waiting for teammates to outlet him the ball.
Coach Willie Green has recently implored his team to let fly from three with new aggression and abandon, a major shift in approach after New Orleans ranked 25th in share of points scored on triples last season, per NBA.com/stats. Just because Green wants the Pelicans to win the math game by launching long balls hardly means they're focusing less on the paint, though. As long as Williamson is in town, New Orleans' most dangerous offense will come from him wreaking all-around havoc near the rim.
Scoring himself is just one expected result of Williamson creasing the paint. An even more likely, almost guaranteed benefit? Multiple defenders collapsing on Williamson, knowing there's not a single player in basketball physically equipped to handle his unparalleled blend of power, quickness, explosiveness and touch around the basket one-on-one. The Pelicans understand that reality as well as anyone, Green's insistence they take more threes directly tied to Williamson's ability to draw help from all over the floor, sparking defensive rotations that lead to open jumpers.
McCollum went 9-of-13 from three on Tuesday. Herb Jones drained all four of his attempts, while Jose Alvarado hit three and Jordan Hawkins and Trey Murphy III—two of the purest shooters in the league—both cashed a pair. Brandon Ingram misfired on both of his three-point tries, still adjusting to New Orleans' updated offensive ethos. He went 7-of-11 from deep last week, though, an indication one of the game's foremost mid-range mavens is both willing and capable of stretching his shot diet beyond the arc.
The Pelicans' path toward true title contention always involved Williamson reaching his peak. We're still not there, at least consistently. But the more the ball is put in his hands with a spread floor, the more efficient looks Zion Williamson will produce for both himself and his teammates—and the even more helpless defenses will be to stop him.
Follow Us
Subscribe
