There was a lot of hype surrounding the New Orleans Pelicans prior to the start of the season. With Zion Williamson in the fold, they were thought of as a contender for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
It didn’t end up playing out that way given how Williamson has yet to play in an NBA game. Despite that fact, the Pelicans somehow are not out of playoff contention altogether despite their 17-27 record.
Jrue Holiday says the Pelicans do not need Williamson to ‘save us’ and he needs to just do what he typically brings to the game.
“[He just needs to do] what he does. We’re not here to think he (needs) to save us,” Holiday said. “We want his energy, rebounding, explosiveness. He’s a threat offensively obviously. I don’t see anyone who’s able to compete with him at the rim.”
via Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com.
Some of the areas of Williamson’s skill-set that Holiday highlighted should indeed provide a considerable boost for New Orleans. The ability Williamson has to get to the basket and finish are almost unparalleled and will cause significant defensive attention from defenses.
It remains to be seen whether or not Williamson and Holiday can be enough to dig the Pelicans out of the hole they are currently facing in the standings. At the very least, a strong individual campaign from him would be enough to hold strong optimism about their future.
There were plenty of impressive signs Zion Williamson displayed during the preseason. He averaged an incredible 23.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while going 71.4% from the field in four appearances.
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