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Zion Williamson logged just 19 appearances with the New Orleans Pelicans prior to the season suspension but it was evident that the No. 1 overall pick has a bright future ahead of him.
Williamson has emerged as a player capable of captivating basketball audiences given his elite athleticism and skill set on the court. His presence alone on the court is even said to be one reason why the NBA included the Pelicans in the season restart plan next month.
Few players project to offer a brighter future than Williamson and it is why Sam Vecenie of The Athletic ranked him as the No. 2 overall prospect, just behind Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic, in the NBA currently on a rookie-scale contract.
And after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus prior to the season opener, Williamson returned in January to prove that he’s going to be an absolute monster. His 23 points, six rebounds and two assists while shooting 58 percent from the field? It’s a small sample of 19 games, but no rookie had ever achieved those thresholds across the board.
J.J. Redick, Williamson’s teammate on the Pelicans, has said in the past that Williamson can be a Hall of Fame-type of a player if he can stay healthy on the court. Redick said recently that he believes Williamson will continue to develop the correct way over the course of his career.
Williamson certainly has the tools and the structure in place to have a long and fruitful career and it is clear that he will be highlight reel each time he steps onto the court.
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