End of isolation for Zion Williamson. The interior of the Pelicans is ready to return to the courts after being placed in the league’s Covid-related health protocol four days ago. Zion Williamson is no longer on the team’s injured list for next night’s game against the Pacers.
The first pick of the 2019 Draft has missed his team’s last two games, against the Spurs and the Thunder. Two meetings still won by New Orleans, who also had to compose without Brandon Ingram. The latter, hit in the left big toe, remains in the infirmary.
In the absence of Zion Williamson and that of Larry Nance Jr, interiors little used in the rotation, like Willy Hernangomez (13 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists against the Spurs) or Jaxson Hayes (21 points and 6 rebounds at the Thunder) , took the opportunity to show off a bit.
For the record, the Zion Williamson – Brandon Ingram – CJ McCollum trio have only played 10 games together (out of 30) since the start of the season. That’s a total of only 172 minutes spent together on the floor, even though their association has superb efficiency averages (120.9 points scored out of 100 possessions and 104.4 points conceded out of 100 possessions). A glimpse of the trio’s tremendous, yet untapped potential.
| Zion Williamson | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2019-20 | NOP | 24 | 28 | 58.3 | 42.9 | 64.0 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 6.3 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 22.5 |
| 2020-21 | NOP | 61 | 33 | 61.1 | 29.4 | 69.8 | 2.7 | 4.5 | 7.2 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 2.7 | 0.6 | 27.0 |
| 2022-23 | NOP | 25 | 33 | 60.3 | 33.3 | 71.3 | 2.1 | 5.0 | 7.2 | 4.7 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 25.2 |
| Total | 110 | 32 | 60.4 | 33.3 | 69.0 | 2.6 | 4.4 | 7.0 | 3.6 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 25.6 | |
