- Basketball
- January 15, 2023
Can Zion Williamson dunks, win championship for the pelicans?
Memories of last NBA season’s phenomenal run from the Memphis Grizzlies are still fresh and chances of a repeat already appear around the corner. Only this time it’s coming from the Pelicans. Instead of Ja Morant, the Pelicans have Zion Williamson as their super-boy. If the fantastic displays of trademark Zion Williamson dunks are any indication, everything seems to have finally fallen into place for the Pelicans this season.
Can Zion Williamson dunks, win championship for the pelicans?
Pelicans rise from the ashes
Back in 2019, when the Pelicans were forced to let go of Anthony Davis, they were presumed to be “done and dusted”. The team was in ruins with feeble defense and blunt attack. Today that presumption seems farthest away from the truth. They have gradually built up into a formidable team that has the potential to surprise anyone. Coach Willy Green seems very well connected with the players, which can also be seen on the field. This might be one of the major reasons, why the Pelicans have come forth in almost every aspect of the game. Almost everything seems positive for the Pelicans. The bench strength looks pretty decent if not outlandish at this point. They not only have good defenders, but also great 3-Point shooters.
Do not get me wrong, it’s only halfway through this NBA season and it would be way too premature to pick a winner right now, but the Pelicans certainly look like tough customers. They have won 15 of their last 17 games. The two losses – one against the Grizzlies and the other against the Celtics, were well justified. CJ McCollum missed against the Grizzlies and then Ingram injured his toe during the game. Zion missed the game against the Celtics. So it’s clear that the Pelicans are in great shape today. If they can keep up and step up, we might very well see an unexpected winner this season.
Zion Williamson dunks are looking too good
Now coming back to the man who is responsible for Pelican’s “dream run” and who has certainly taken this NBA season by storm – Zion Williamson. The frustration of not being able to play even 100 games in his 3 years long career, was steaming inside this young man. And now when he has finally recovered from his injuries, he seems determined to be on the top of the leaderboard. He is averaging well and shooting better. If he can continue this and the Pelicans continue to win, Zion will be a strong contender for Kia MVP awards.
Coming to his techniques, Zion certainly does not have a conventional style. He does not like deep shooting and consequently has relatively lesser 3-pointers. Zion gets close to the hoop rather very frequently and maintains a fantastic shooting which is north of 60%! He is swift for his height of 6 foot 6 and believes in power play. This was sufficiently evident from the two “360 windmill Zion Williamson dunks” that he exhibited against the Suns. He seems to have a great temperament and belongs to a select class of players who want to play not just for themselves but also for their team.
Who else can the Pelicans count on?
Zion is undoubtedly the most important component of Pelican’s dream team, but by no means he is the only one. In the last NBA season, when Zion was out Injured, the Pelicans had a good run and they managed 10-2 out of 12, with the help of Brandon and CJ. McCollum and Ingram are two players who, like Zion can play good offensive games. Nance, whose contract has been extended adds to the defense. In addition, Jones and Alvarado have also proved themselves in the team. Lastly, coach Willie Green has been the anchor for this team ever since he started with a disastrous 1-12 last season. But the team certainly has come a long way from there and so has coach Willie.
Zion Williamson is hungry and fiery. If he can control and channel it in the proper direction, the Pelicans can very well be the Champions. But only time will tell. Whatever happens in the future, the basic rule aptly fits the Pelicans – Champion teams are not made overnight, but are built gradually over years through hard work and some luck.
