The New Orleans Pelicans are making news for all of the right reasons heading into the NBA Playoffs. They are 16-4 over the past 20 games with a good shot at securing the fourth seed in the Western Conference. Brandon Ingram is playing career-best defense, CJ McCollum is cashing in open 3-pointers, and svelte Zion Williamson is turning heads with plays reminiscent of his Duke days.
According to Larry Nance Jr., Williamson's ridiculous feat should worry the rest of the Western Conference. Williamson and Ingram's defensive work is already lifting the team's postseason ceiling. The floor is already above the NBA Play-In Tournament with Williamson at these fitness levels, per Nance Jr.
“His focus level right now is just ridiculous,” Nance Jr. said of Williamson. “The best players I've played with, this is when they're peaking… I am just so proud of him for putting in the work on his body to stay healthy this year, I couldn't be more happy for him…This team is really scary. We're starting to get some attention that is well deserved. We're going to be a problem for somebody. We've just got to keep our heads down and keep working.”
Zion Williamson's Pelicans are winning with style
Just do not look away when Williamson is on the court. One split-second defensive play on one side of the court can lead to a show-stopping dunk on the other in mere seconds. Williamson saw the latest highlight the whole way.
Naji Marshall led the break following a steal. Marshall is one of the team's best passers and the Pelicans' reserve has been encouraging Williamson to find more highlight opportunities in the team's now regularly occurring blowout wins. Williamson was already thinking of the celebration when Marshall went streaking toward the basket.
“When (Marshall) got the steal, I said, ‘Oh he is throwing it,'” Williamson explained. “He threw a good pass, went and got it.”
Williamson's dunk also got an advanced math treatment from the NBA, and the numbers are insane.
Run the floor.
Spring into the air.
Hammer it down.Zion's oop last night in Brooklyn 🤯 https://t.co/eLXGgu3AuJ pic.twitter.com/uYuJj8ikVy
— NBA (@NBA) March 20, 2024
The ball was traveling at 24.1 miles per hour as it passed through the rim. The alley-oop from Naji Marshall was lobbed 11.1 feet into the air, well above where anyone but Williamson could finish the play at those angles. Williamson was 7.7 feet away when launching toward one of the most talked about dunks of the NBA season.
Williamson finished with 28 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and one steal in the road win. The Point Zion experiment is producing averages of 26.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.3 blocks, 1.3 steals, and a 2.46 assist-to-turnover ratio. Williamson is also sporting a True Shooting Percentage of 68.5%, one of the best in the NBA.
Sure, Williamson's dunk was phenomenal. And yes, the Herb Jones First-Team All-Defense campaign is chugging along just fine. However, the pictures capturing the action have been getting more appreciation than the Pelicans received for beating a lottery team. The Tatiana Lubanko (Pelicans Social Media Coordinator) First-Team All-Photography nomination needs to be mailed off ASAP.
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