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Zion Williamson recently stated that he has no minutes restrictions heading into his second NBA season. With the shackles off, the New Orleans Pelicans forward is expected reach a few personal milestones after missing the majority of his rookie year due to injury.
The New Orleans Pelicans will go as far as Zion Williamson takes them
Failure to win the NBA’s coveted Rookie of the Year award should light a fire under Zion Williamson’s belly. The distinction is a once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment that he lost to Ja Morant last season.
The 2020-21 season is essentially a continuation of his rookie year, but don’t be surprised if Williamson reaches heights that few sophomores have reached. The NBA has been put on notice as the second-year phenom looks to make up for lost time.
Zion Williamson is poised for a breakout season in his sophomore campaign.
5. 70 Percent Free-Throw Shooting
Zion Williamson is shooting just a tad over 60 percent at the free-throw line which isn’t going to cut it for a budding star.
He shot 64.0 percent at the line last season, exactly the same percentage he had at Duke, and almost the same as his high school average (63 percent). For Zion Williamson to take a leap in free-throw shooting would be huge for the New Orleans Pelicans who need him to be a closer from the line during crunch time.
A 70 percent free-throw shooting average doesn’t sound like a big leap, but if he achieves that mark, it will be his basketball career-best. Don’t bet against Zion Williamson, who works on his game tirelessly.
4. Improved Defense
The New Orleans Pelicans were outstanding on defense with Zion Williamson playing prior to the NBA bubble. The New Orleans Pelicans allowed just 91.6 points per 100 possessions before the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to NBA insiders,"the Pelicans' starters looked terrific from the time Zion made his debut in January, especially on defense, allowing a ridiculously low 91.6 points per 100 possessions," as per ESPN
But in the Orlando bubble, the Pelicans played worse defense with Zion on the floor (minus-22.8 net rating). Interestingly, the Pelicans own a net rating of plus-6.8 with Zion on the bench.
His lack of effort was glaring in the bubble and the Pelicans suffered for it. Williamson has the skills to be a defensive demon just as he was in college where he averaged 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks a game.
With his health no longer an issue, the 6-foot-7 forward should be able to post at least 2.0 steals and 1.5 blocks a game.
3. Team Scoring Leader
In only 27.8 minutes of action, Zion Williamson averaged 22.5 points per game while shooting 58.3 percent from the field.
Projected to 36 minutes per game, his scoring rises to 29.1 points a night which would have made him the league’s third-leading scorer behind James Harden (34.3) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (29.5).
With his playing time no longer monitored, the Pelicans’ rising star could easily average at least 27.0 points per game. Though Brandon Ingram led the New Orleans Pelicans in scoring at 23.8 points per contest last season, Zion Williamson should leapfrog over him by the end of the 2020-21 NBA season.
2. First Postseason
The New Orleans Pelicans only won 30 games last season and 11 of those came with Zion Williamson suiting up to play less than 30 minutes a night. He only appeared in 24 games and the Pelicans’ record during those times was 11-13. This means the team plays almost .500 basketball with him on the floor.
If they had Zion Williamson in the lineup for the majority of last season, the Pelicans could have been the eighth seed in the playoffs instead of the Portland Trail Blazers.
If the Pelicans stand by coach Stan Van Gundy's plan of removing Zion's minutes restrictions, New Orleans could well be on their way to their first postseason appearance since 2018.
1. All-Star
Zion Williamson is a force of nature. Fans love his energy and high-wire acts, especially when they culminate in a slam dunk. Just as LeBron James, one of the players Williamson is compared to quite often, earned his first All-Star berth in his sophomore year, Zion will aim to follow suit.
Even though the Western Conference teams are loaded with superstars, Williamson is remarkably popular with the fans, who will undoubtedly vote for him in large numbers. Not only will he be an All-Star, but Zion Williamson will also likely be chosen as a starter.
However, though some players are selected only because of their popularity, Williamson will aim to win an All-Star selection based on merit and through his performances.
If he becomes one of the top scorers in the league by midseason, carrying his team to one of the top five records in the West, you can bet that Zion Williamson will achieve All-Star status easily.
Guess the Lakers players!
