1. Major Pressure on the Rim Within the Half-Court

Zion Williamson is probably going to be capable of powering his way to the basket against essentially any perimeter player trying to guard him. That will enable him to operate in more narrow floor spacing and find success compared to most players.

What makes Williamson even scarier of a matchup is the fact that he can explode vertically to the rim on drives and on the offensive glass like a freight train. Teams are going to need their center to be on high-alert ready to rotate from the dunker’s spot or within the general vicinity of the rim.

“With the style he plays and everything he does, I don’t think it’s going to be hard,” teammate and former Duke player Brandon Ingram told USA TODAY Sports. “He attracts so much attention, so other guys are going to be open.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s two or three people around the rim. He’s still going to finish. I think on the defensive end, you just have to integrate him a little bit. He’s a young player. So we’ll have to figure out how to make things a little easier with coverages. But he should be all right.”

via Mark Medina of USA TODAY.

There will surely be a requirement for opposing teams to try to pack the paint more than they do against the typical assignment when trying to slow Williamson down, too. This is something teams tried to accomplish in the preseason but he still went 20-of-23 (87%) on finishes within the half-court.

The Pelicans have two main lane penetration threats that consistently drive the lane throughout games and find success. Jrue Holiday (16.6) sets the tone with Brandon Ingram (13.9) to combine for 30.5 drives per game. However, they could use another reliable threat.

The third most frequent lane penetrator for the Pelicans this season has been Lonzo Ball but he struggles to capitalize. He converts on just 32.1% of his shot attempts off these sequences. Being able to lean on Williamson more as an initiator should bolster their attack substantially.

Many possibilities are present for the Pelicans with Williamson as a play-finisher, too. Whether he is cutting, engaged as a pick-and-roll screener, or crashing the offensive glass, simply getting him going towards the rim will grab a lot of attention from defenders.