An Eastern Conference coach, meanwhile, …

An Eastern Conference coach, meanwhile, gave the lone remaining first-place vote to Williamson. In the 19 games and 565 minutes Williamson has played, the New Orleans Pelicans rookie showed why the basketball world was so eager for him to debut after a knee injury forced him to miss the first three months of the season. “His talent is off the charts,” the coach said. “He has potential to impact the game with or without the ball, and on both ends. As he understands the game, he will be able to be a playmaker that is incredibly high level, and shooting improvement will come over time. “Right now, he is trying to fit in, and may have to do that for another year. But by Year 3, if he progresses the way he should and is taught correctly, he will be pretty spectacular.”