Most analysts agree that Zion Williamson will ultimately make his greatest impact playing center. While his time at small-ball five was always likely to be more limited in the 2019-20 season than going forward, this new information casts doubt on whether the New Orleans Pelicans rookie will be downshifted in the lineup at all.
Why? Zion Williamson, apparently, believes he'll be slotted at small forward in certain lineup configurations this season, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN.
Zion Williamson says with some groups he could be playing the small forward spot. “Could be the 3, could be the 4.”
— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) October 1, 2019
Frankly, this doesn't make much sense.
The Pelicans are one of the deepest teams in the NBA, with as little as 10 viable rotation players on the roster. Though they indeed have a wealth of talent up front, they also possess one of the deepest groups of perimeter players in the league. Jrue Holiday is the only guard or wing assured of a starting spot; Lonzo Ball and JJ Redick will start next to him in the backcourt, while Brandon Ingram, E'Twaun Moore, and Josh Hart will all compete for minutes at the 3. Impressive rookie Nickeil Alexander-Walker factors in somewhere there, too, as does former first-round pick Frank Jackson, who New Orleans remains high on.
Does that leave any room for Williams to spend time at small forward? It seems unlikely, especially considering his unique physical profile and current package of skills clearly make him best suited to playing power forward. Does Gentry really want him spotting up for threes, or worse, chasing smalls around the perimeter defensively?
Williamson's positional versatility is one of the many traits that make him a generational prospect. But no matter what he's saying after one day of practice, expect it to be utilized more on the interior this season than the perimeter.
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