“ Throw it in the air! » This is what Zion Williamson had in mind when he saw this ball being intercepted by Naji Marshall. The latter, who had rightly asked for his interior to dunk more often, was served. “ When he made the interception, I told myself he was going to throw it to me. He made a good pass, and I went for it! “, describes the crazy dunker.
With on arrival, one of the “alley-oops” of the year. The inside of the Pelicans actually went to recover, with both hands, a ball sent very, very high and well behind his head, like a Vince Carter to name but one. A powerful dunk like he used to produce earlier in his career and in college. Whereas this season, he seems to occupy the Top 10 less.
His gesture last night is a good way to remind those who might forget him to what extent he is a physical phenomenon. Phenomenon who still has five matches to play to reach his highest quota of matches played (61) in the same season since his arrival in the Great League.
More than ten kilos less?
“ The team and I are so proud of him, of his physical work to keep him healthy this year “, enthuses Larry Nance Jr. at the end of last night's victory, on the Nets floor. The work of his teammate, author of 28 points (11/16), may have had a direct effect on one of the major problems since his arrival: his weight.
According to Brian Windhorstfrom ESPN, the interior would have lost 11, 12 kilos “ or more » since the mid-season tournament last December. Period during which the debate around his physical condition was debated again.
Beyond this single physical aspect, Larry Nance Jr. also notices a change in his state of mind. “ Honestly…his concentration level is ridiculous right now. Some of the best players I have been around start to hit their peak at this time of year. That's exactly what he does. It follows this pattern exactly », Describes the former playing partner of LeBron James or Kobe Bryant.
Less joker in the locker room
When asked to go further in his reflection, he adds: “ Even something simple like pre-game in the locker room. He's just… a little less jovial, a little less laughing and joking. He has his headphones on and I'm sure he listens to BIG to stay focused. » We know in fact that the Pelicans player likes to listen the American rapper to motivate himself.
Less kilos and more concentration therefore, this translates into almost 27 points (64%), 8 rebounds and 5 assists on average over his last seven outings. Above all, his performances fuel a winning team: seven victories in the Pelicans' last eight outings.
“ We must continue to build. We talked about it at the beginning of the season, in the middle of the season and now coming to the end of the season. If we want to be a candidate (for the title), we must continue to improve in the small nuances of the game », Demands the interior, well on the way to obtaining its first qualification in the playoffs.
| Zion Williamson | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 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 | 29 | 33 | 60.8 | 36.8 | 71.4 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 4.6 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 0.6 | 26.0 |
| 2023-24 | NOP | 56 | 31 | 58.2 | 35.7 | 69.6 | 1.8 | 4.0 | 5.8 | 5.1 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 22.6 |
| Total | 170 | 32 | 59.8 | 34.6 | 69.2 | 2.3 | 4.3 | 6.6 | 4.1 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 2.7 | 0.6 | 24.8 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
