PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers will get back at it on Friday when they play host to the New Orleans Pelicans, and if they’re going to have a chance to win the game, they have to find a way to slow down Zion Williamson.
With the Sixers missing Joel Embiid to protect the basket, they are going to have a tough time really slowing down Williamson in the paint. In four career games against the Sixers, he’s averaging 33 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. He had 33 points, eight rebounds, and six assists to lead the Pelicans to a win over the Sixers back in November.
“Just on defense load into the ball,” KJ Martin said of defending Williamson. “Obviously, he’s strong and he likes to shoot gaps so you just have to be in and get out to the 3-point shooters. They’re a good team. He’s a guy that can get downhill and obviously put some shooters around him like Trey Murphy. So you just have to do both. It’s a tough task for sure, but we’re capable for sure.”
To Martin’s point, New Orleans has shooters such as CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Brandon Ingram, and others to surround Williamson. The challenge for Philadelphia in terms of defending Williamson and keeping him out of the paint is even tougher when considering they have to get out to shooters and close out on them as well.
“I don’t know how much he (Williamson) weighs, but he’s up there for sure and he’s super strong and athletic,” Martin added. “So to game plan, you just kind of have to load up and get the ball out of his hands and get back out and get the shooters, and if he gets it in the post or whatever, you just gotta be physical. So you got to live with him going right and whatever happens, happens.”
Tip off from the Wells Fargo Center is set for 7 p.m. EST.
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