This team is all about Zion. Zion Williamson was the first overall draft pick in 2019 and has continued to be studied and scrutinized by scouts and sportswriters who think he could be the next Shaquille O’Neal or David Robinson.
A hulking 6’6” and 280-pounds, Zion was acquired after his freshman year at Duke, where he was unequivocally dominant in rebounds, field goals, blocks, and steals, and was considered one of the best college freshman players of all time.
If Zion can stay healthy this year, and if their burgeoning star small forward, Brandon Ingram, can provide the necessary support, the Pelicans will be a team to watch during the NBA betting season. They have the athleticism. One can only imagine what riches lay in wait for this young team.
Williamson had a successful rookie season and an all-star second season. His size and speed, his unrivaled dunking ability, his unorthodox, ambidextrous shooting style, and blocking capability, all have the makings of an elite NBA player.
He missed the entirety of last season, however, due to a Jones fracture in his foot. We can’t wait to see what this season will look like for the New Orleans Pelicans if Williamson remains injury free.
The Pelicans are one of the league’s youngest franchises and have faced the pangs and growing pains that plague new organizations, exacerbated by the circumstances surrounding their move from Charlotte (they were originally the New Orleans Hornets) in the 2004 season and subsequent disaster, when they had to stare down the atrocities of Hurricane Katrina, with a temporary move to (the gracious neighbor) Oklahoma City.
After playing some dismal, artless, gettin’-it-together seasons, they drafted an elite player out of Wake Forest by the name of Chris Paul.
When Paul left the team for the Los Angeles Clippers, the team had the fortune to draft Kentucky Wildcat power forward, Anthony Davis. The Davis years were productive but yielded nothing great in terms of conference or division championships—much less the coveted trophy. Davis engineered a trade for himself to the L.A. Lakers and the team faced yet another rough stint. In 16 seasons, the Pelicans have a losing record and have made the playoffs only 7 times.
That is, until the arrival of Zion. Williamson was (and perhaps, is) thought to be one of the best college athletes of all time, albeit just for one year.
