Even though he has faced a lot of adversity in his young career, Zion Williamson is proving his detractors wrong this season. Moreover, the New Orleans Pelicans star is showing everyone why he’s also a menace on the defensive end of the court after all the disrespect he received regarding that part of his game.
Just recently, New Orleans took a crucial 113-105 win against the Phoenix Suns at the Footprint Center in Arizona. NOLA point guard CJ McCollum led the way for the Pelicans by dropping 31 points on 54 percent shooting from the field, four rebounds and five assists. Williamson added 29 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and five blocks to ensure NOLA went home with the victory.
Phoenix saw its All-Star core step up against NOLA. Devin Booker made 25 points, Kevin Durant had 23, while Bradley Beal led the team by going for 33 points. Unfortunately, no other starter or reserve scored more than 12 points, leading to their defeat at the hands of the Pelicans.
The win helped New Orleans get into a tie with Phoenix for the sixth spot as both teams now have a record of 46 wins and 32 losses. If either team gets the advantage, that squad will enjoy the benefit of a definite playoff spot without participating in the Play-In Tournament.
New Orleans Pelicans Star Zion Williamson Shares Reason For His Defensive Leap
After the game, Williamson spoke to reporters and shared his thoughts about being targeted on the defensive end of the court. The Pelicans All-Star’s reaction is seen in these tweets by Pelicans Film Room on X:
“I could tell that the other team would try to hunt me on defense. I watched the film and I didn’t like that… I started taking a lot more pride, worked on it so that if I get called up, I can hold my own”
— Zion Williamson on his improvements defensively pic.twitter.com/DYNgUPeET8
— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) April 8, 2024
“People remember the greats because of key moments… If I want to be one of those players, I gotta make it happen in those moments”
— Zion Williamson on his statement game tonight pic.twitter.com/A8af4W35qz
— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) April 8, 2024
“Absolutely. Especially with how teams are guarding me. Just gotta find and easier way to mix in some other buckets like that”
— Zion Williamson on incorporating more midrange jumpers into his game pic.twitter.com/jBzzkYcsjx
— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) April 8, 2024
This season, Williamson is averaging 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in 31.4 minutes per game. He also has 0.5 defensive box plus/minus rating, making him a positive contributor on that end of the court.
Williamson is showing he’s not only a force to be reckoned with on offense, but defensively as well. Expect the Pels’ forward to take his game to the next level, especially when the postseason starts.
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