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New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson was ranked 19th on the ESPN Top 100 NBA Players list that published on Wednesday morning ahead of the 2020-21 season.
Despite playing just 24 games last season, the former No. 1 overall pick appeared ahead of several established players on the list by ESPN, including the likes of Paul George, Jamal Murray, Kyrie Irving and Bradley Beal among others.
The criteria used to rank players on the list appeared to be fairly straight up, with voters predicting what they expect from each player during the upcoming season. No rookies from the 2020 class were included while Williamson and Ja Morant (31) were the only two ranked from last year.
Williamson was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team after averaging 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists last season. Of course, Williamson didn’t debut until Jan. 22 following knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus suffered during the preseason.
The list by ESPN was heavily criticized by basketball fans on social media with many crushing the selection of Williamson at No. 19. While Williamson turned in an exciting rookie season, the idea of him being ranked ahead of so many other notable players did not sit well with fans.
Regardless of his ranking, Williamson appears poised to enjoy more success in his second season.
The 20-year-old is fully healthy now with no restrictions in training camp and should be on pace to log a complete season with the Pelicans. However, even predicting moderate-to-good success this season still likely doesn’t warrant a ranking at No. 19.
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