After missing two games with his hip and back injury, Zion Williamson did not miss his return to action with a double-double, close to the triple, with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists.
Facing the soft knee Clippers, Zion Williamson made the powder speak, going to win near the circle as he knows how to do so well. But he also managed to shift his teammates, 5 of his 7 assists resulting in a 3-point.
“We are happy to have him back with us,” smiled Willie Green on ESPN. “When he receives the ball, he makes the right choices. Whether it’s scoring or finding a team mate by passing it to him and keeping moving, he’s been fantastic. »
Passes that stand out for shooters
A real magnet for opposing defences, Zion Williamson brings players together around him, but it’s the better to get rid of them with his power and explosiveness. And when the defensive pressure is too strong, based on two or even three-man takes, he has the vision of the game to bring out the leather properly.
“Before, I often rushed when I saw a pass lane, but now I let the action develop. I let the defense move as I go and I take their reactions into account. We have very good shooters in the team and I managed to find them and they took their shots. »
Launched as a “point forward” by Stan Van Gundy two years ago, Zion Williamson is certainly not the Pelicans’ official leader, with CJ McCollum, Jose Alvarado and Devonte ‘Graham who share the minutes in position 1, but the former Duke can always contribute to the creation. Placed at the head of the racket to initiate the attack of the Pels, he made a carnage in the worried defense of the Clippers.
“The thing we did well in this game, and what we haven’t done much yet, is to put the ball in the hands of Zion in the high post. He played a leader in a certain way on several sequences. We wanted to try to take advantage of several advantageous duels, ” adds Willie Green. “It’s something that happens in games, and we’ve seen it happen before. It was necessary for the team in this game. »
Second-best team in the League in indoor scoring
Top scorer with 22 units, CJ McCollum was also delighted with the return of his teammate. It must be said that it greatly simplifies the task of having such strength under the panels. It indeed opens corridors to the circle, and spaces to shoot cushy at mid-distance.
“He was aggressive. He did what he’s supposed to do in terms of making decisions and finishing close to the circle. Sometimes he made the pass on the weak side. He took the rebounds. He initiated our attack. He was a big plus for us. »
The second-best team in the League in points scored inside, with an average of 56 per game, the Pelicans owe it in large part to their cubic strong winger who will continue to play the dogs in a bowling game. A real pinball that bounces on contact in the paint, Zion Williamson clearly changes his team’s dimension when he is in full possession of his means. Which wasn’t the case last night, still a little “aching” from his heavy fall.
“The defense is focusing on Z and it’s up to us to get open shots,” concludes Naji Marshall. “He makes the right choices, he creates a lot of shots. As [Brandon Ingram]. And it’s up to us to take the shots behind. I love that. I hope he will continue to give me these passes. »
| Zion Williamson | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | 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 | 3 | 30 | 49.1 | 0.0 | 71.4 | 2.3 | 4.3 | 6.7 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 22.0 |
| Total | 88 | 32 | 60.0 | 33.3 | 68.4 | 2.7 | 4.2 | 6.9 | 3.2 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 2.7 | 0.6 | 25.6 | |
