2. A More Prolific Transition Attack…At Some Point

The thought of Zion Williamson in transition situations with one of the NBA’s fastest-paced teams is exciting to think about. He is going to likely take time to adjust to the fast pace of play the Pelicans play from a conditioning standpoint, but when he does, watch out.

“He’ll have three or four good games and then two or three bad games,” the scout told USA TODAY Sports. “He has to adjust to New Orleans’ pace. They run one of the fastest paces in the league. It’ll take time for him to condition himself into that.”

via Mark Medina of USA TODAY Sports.

The results Williamson achieved in transition situations during his lone season at Duke was truly a sight to behold. He ended the season 56-of-67 (83.6%) and he did so with a combination of forcing turnovers leading to breakaways, handling the ball off a miss, and filling an off-ball role.

Let’s not forget, the ability Lonzo Ball has to throw lead passes in transition is something that Williamson will benefit from on the floor. However, these types of sequences may require his conditioning to improve before becoming a more regular occurrence throughout games.

The Pelicans will also be able to use Williamson as a trailer with real effectiveness. Those situations will enable him to have momentum going towards the basket while the defense will often be vulnerable, especially if they are ball watching.

The hard work Williamson does to make an impact on the offensive glass in transition. His speed should enable him to be in a position to consistently come up with the ball while his strength could help to muscle the ball away from the opposition.