3 reasons why Zion Williamson could become the greatest player in New Orleans Pelicans' history

Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans in action against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first quarter at Moda Center on March 18, 2021 in Portland, Oregon.
Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans in action against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first quarter at Moda Center on March 18, 2021 in Portland, Oregon.

New Orleans Pelicans power forward Zion Williamson was the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA draft. In his debut season with the Pelicans, he secured an average of 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists with a field goal accuracy of 58.3% in the regular season. He was named Rookie of the Year. The following season, he made his first appearance in an All-Star game on February 23, for Team Durant and was featured in the starting lineup.

Since he made his debut he has been a great force within the team, making his claim as the leader of the team and in the future, possibly the greatest player of the franchise. Below are three reasons as to why he could attain such a feat.


#1 Zion has a statistical scoring advantage

Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans shoots a free throw against the Miami Heat during the second quarter at American Airlines Arena on December 25, 2020 in Miami, Florida.
Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans shoots a free throw against the Miami Heat during the second quarter at American Airlines Arena on December 25, 2020 in Miami, Florida.

Zion Williamson has outperformed every New Orleans player in their rookie season in fewer games played. He has solidified himself as a key part of the Pelicans' roster, leading the team in points (1,647 in 61 games) in the just-concluded season. He also holds the record as a teenager with the most points scored per game in a minimum of 10 games (23.6), surpassing LeBron James' record of 21.9 points.

At age 19, Williamson became the first teenager to score at least 20 points in 10 consecutive games in NBA history, surpassing Carmelo Anthony's record of netting 20+ points in nine consecutive games with the Denver Nuggets. Zanos is walking the path of the great Micheal Jordan, being the first rookie since Jordan to hit at least 20 points in 16 of their first 20 outings. A path no Pelican player has crossed, Williamson is poised to lead the Pelicans to great achievements. Williamson is the greatest rookie scorer of all time.

#2 Zion has undeniable Star Power

Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans dribbles the ball against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on February 05, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans dribbles the ball against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on February 05, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

According to two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant, Zion Williamson is a once-in-a-generation type of athlete. He has also been described as a freak of nature. The New Orleans Pelicans power forward has been associated with the likes of NBA superstars LeBron James, Charles Barkley and Larry Johnson. This sort of praise and association has hardly been spoken of about any other Pelican player in franchise history.

Williamson is a very peculiar player with that star power to become the face of the NBA in the future, if he stays fit and puts in more work on his weaknesses, like his beyond the arc accuracy. The All-Star player is fast growing into an all-around star with his speed and his build giving him the advantage to make explosive plays, rebounds and the tendency to defend against all positions. Despite the fact that he needs more work on the defense, he is a reliable shot blocker.

He put pen to paper on a five-year shoe deal with the Jordan franchise worth $75 million on July 23, 2019. The 20-year-old power forward's shoe deal became the second-largest rookie shoe deal in the history of the game, only second to the 2003 LeBron James' rookie deal of $90 million. If that isn't a testament to the huge star power and trust placed on him as a brand and player, I don't know what is.


#3 Zion has amazing shooting accuracy

Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans shoots over Jae Crowder #99 of the Memphis Grizzliesmduring a NBA game at Smoothie King Center on January 31, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans shoots over Jae Crowder #99 of the Memphis Grizzliesmduring a NBA game at Smoothie King Center on January 31, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Zion Williamson became the youngest player in NBA history with 30+ points and 90% shooting accuracy on February 12. The Pelicans went up against the Dallas Mavericks, and Zanos recorded a career-high 36 points, netting 14 times in 15 attempts from the field, thereby securing a field goal of 93.3%.

Williamson is tied with Shaquille O'Neal's record for the longest streak of at least 20-point games on a 50% shooting accuracy with 25 consecutive games since the shot-clock era (1954-1955). He is surely in good company, having surpassed NBA legends and Hall of Famers, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Karl Malone's record. His bid to extend the record was cut short when the Pelicans took on the Brooklyn Nets on April 7, Williamson was only able to put up 16 points with a field goal accuracy of 33.3%.

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Edited by Arnav Kholkar