But all of his minutes at the five on Wednesday were played alongside four guards. Smart stuff.). Outside of his sometimes inconsistent outside shot, Luka's offensive game is near-perfect. And this is set to be the seventh time in his career that Butler has had more steals (63) than personal fouls (47). On the other end of the floor, Butler is great at avoiding the whistle. The Kings have hard choices to make. The problem is those shots have not been falling for him as much this year. While Myles Turner is turning heads down low, T.J. McConnell is leading with effort in the backcourt. And he's getting better at reading defences. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting. The reports of the death of the Warriors era have been greatly exaggerated. No team has played more clutch games than the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have been within five in the last five in 31 (69%) of their 48 games. But among 163 players with at least 100 shots both inside and outside, only Jabari Parker has a bigger differential between his field goal percentage in the paint and his effective field goal percentage from outside the paint. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. 1 pick doesnt have to be an above-average 3-point shooter to be a problem for opposing defenses, especially when hes playing the five and surrounded by four other guys that can shoot. Then he played 6:37 at center in the fourth quarter, when he scored 17 of his 22 points. He practiced everything. He still has a lot of developingto do imagine him with even a semi-reliable jump shot and yethe's already one of the league's most dominant scorers, a 20-year-old who is doing things we haven't seen since Shaquille O'Neal. Settle the offense down some.. Breaking down stats and film from around the NBA, including a look at Zion's improved ball-handling skills. Zion Williamson is shooting 71 percent from the field during the preseason. Theyre getting destroyed. FROM @EliasSports: Zion is the youngest player in NBA history with consecutive games of 30 points on at least 70% FG pct. a constant gripe of head coach Willie Green, https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2023/03/17040208/CJ-drop-off.mp4, https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2023/03/17040230/CJ-corner.mp4, when McCollum shares the court with Daniels, are outscored by 2.7 points per 100 possessions, have a staggering plus-19.5 net rating this year, has been the main cause of his rocky season, https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2023/03/17040300/BI-TO-2.mp4, https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2023/03/17040325/BI-TO.mp4. More capable teams from the perimeter have run the Pelicans out of the gym on multiple occasions. They have stocked up on a number of young players the team would have imagined could grow and develop alongside Williamson, but instead, most have struggled to adjust to life in the NBA. When McCollum, Ingram and Williamson play together, the Pels have a staggering plus-19.5 net rating this year. Film study will show that he has a well-rounded game. 2021 Zion Williamson: 20-1972007 Dwight Howard: 21-631993 Shaquille O'Neal: 21-248, Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) January 20, 2021. (To boot, many of his "unassisted baskets" were putbacks). In a season full of comically awful numbers, this one has jumped out the most: The Pelicans normal starting lineup without Zion (McCollum, Jones, Ingram, Murphy and Valaninas) is getting outscored by a whopping 26.3 points per 100 possessions, according to Cleaning the Glass. WebRotowire Apr 14, 2023. To be clear, Williamsons paint dominance is comparable to Shaquille ONeals, but they are achieved in different ways. Check out the podcast, where Allen also discusses social justice, his mindset as a player, and much more. Since Williamson injured his hamstring, Valaninas hasnt provided that reliable third option needed to take pressure off McCollum and Ingram. WebZion Williamson is an obvious choice here after playing in only 29 games. While ONeals game was mostly back to basket and waiting for others to set him up, Williamson is able to carve his own way into the lane. But watching Valaninas this year underscores how he hasnt been same force he was during his first season with the Pelicans. This season, there are seven players (whove played at least 500 minutes) in the Jimmy Butler Club: There are also two players with more blocks than personal fouls: Rudy Gobert (138, 112) and Jarrett Allen (74, 70). That led to stat lines like 37 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 assist even with his team shooting an abysmal 18 percent from 3. 1 overall pick in 2019, is averaging 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists, but Spacing has been a constant issue for this team, even when its two best shooters CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy are on the floor together. The player closest to Williamson is Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 16.9points per game in the paint. They leverage their superior advantage in height with strength and vertical leaping ability, enabling them to protect the paint. Perhaps the wear and tear from everything Valaninas did last year and the first half of this season is catching up with him. For example, Zion as a point forward bringing the ball up, which drags opposing bigs out into space, then Zion blows right by them. At 33-36, they sit in 12th place in the West, a half game out of the final Play-In position. "Stat Just Happened" is our new series where we'll pair an important stat with how it actually unfolded on the floor. Williamson, a perfectionist, talks about how he doesnt like to waste possessions. So why dont we see these tools more frequently? That starts with shooting Zion made a jump hook in the third quarter of this game that was his first made basket outside the paint this season, reports Andrew Whenever you're rubbing shoulders with a first-ballot Hall of Famer, you know you're doing something right. For example, look at where two-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobertis before he leaves his feet to challengeWilliamson's shot on this possession: It looks like Gobert believes Williamson should've been whistled for an offensive foul he doesappear to extend his arm ever-so-slightly but Williamson almost knocking Gobertoff of his feet goes to show how powerful he is when he gains any sort of momentum. Dropping a 7-foot-4 centre with a 7-foot-10 wingspan to the paint should work but Marjanovic probably wasn't expecting Williamson to take off around the dotted line and jump so high that he could softly lay the ball in. Per Cleaning The Glass, the Pelicans current starting lineup is scoring just 88.1 points per 100 possessions in half-court situations, which is one step above punting the ball into the stands on every possession. Before joining The Athletic, he was a writer at The Times-Picayune/NOLA Media Group, and he's been on the Pelicans beat since 2016. Hes taken 82% of his shots in the restricted area, the third highest rate among 251 players with at least 200 field goal attempts and down just a tick from last season (85%). In the age of Bag Twitter, where fans are dazzled by unnecessary dribbling and exaggerated step backs into contested jumpers, dominating the paint is not enough to prove your name should be with the best. New Orleans Pelicans news fromFanSided Daily, 5 bold predictions for Cowboys against Patriots, Bills zoom into AFCs drivers seat, Chiefs reach crisis and more. The problem? Pels VP Griffin: Zion wasn't cleared for 5-on-5, Pels' Williamson: Will return 'when I feel like Zion', Zion won't return in time for play-in, Griffin says, Zion's return from hamstring injury still up in air, Artist shows off behind-the-scenes look at Zion Williamson's 'Mount Zion' tattoo, Zion cleared for activity, to miss 2 more weeks, Pelicans say Zion to miss at least 2 more weeks, Pels say injured Zion progressing, set for imaging, Three big questions facing the Pelicans with Zion Williamson still out, NBA teams are tossing millions at postseason spots that might not be there. Utah has won six straight, is healthy, and playing well right now. There are also times when the Pels need a perimeter player who can get into the paint and collapse the defense. He's slightly undersized to play power forward or centre at 6-foot-6, but he has the size to power his way through bigger defenders when he gets intothe paint. WebZion Williamson is an obvious choice here after playing in only 29 games. Scott Rafferty is a Senior NBA Editor for The Sporting News. Of course, close games count. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. Since then, the Pelicans are 26th in offensive rating, 14th in points in the paint and have been held under 100 points more times (six) than theyve reached 120 (five). Happy Friday! While the Mavericks have the leagues 10th best record, they have its third best point differential (+7.1 per game), that of a team thats 32-12. 1 when they toppled Milwaukee in the first round. Instead of driving into the same fate, Williamson stops and pulls up for a smooth jumper, something thats been in his bag since he first started going viral as a teen. If you were amazed by Curry's record-setting performance on Sunday, let's just say you weren't the only one. Latest on New Orleans Pelicans power forward Zion Williamson including complete game-by-game stats on ESPN. He's gone from being more ofa finisher to more of aplaymaker, getting more opportunities to create for himself out of isolation and in the pick-and-roll. The last five games have been the highest-scoring stretch (32.4 ppg) of Williamsons career. The lack of success is especially strange considering the same lineup with non-shooting big Jaxson Hayes in Murphys place posted a plus-7.1 net rating last season while averaging a sizzling 123.5 points per 100 possessions. While Ingrams two-month absence due to a toe injury has been the main cause of his rocky season, there have been some issues even when he does take the court. For one, he's built like a tank. 1 option when available. Two, just because the regular season didnt go the way we wanted it to go or other people wanted it to go, doesnt mean we werent developing grit and tough habits and good things. The Pelicans have won four of the five to climb within a game in the loss column of the ninth-place Warriors, with all three head-to-head matchups still to come. The biggest number is the one turnover. If nothing else this postseason, the Kings went from the team everyone thought they wanted to face to the team everyone is glad they didnt have to face. This season, hes destroying his own record, averaging 17.9 restricted-area points per game. He reassured me that he wasnt going to be a liability and he wanted to stay in there and make sure we get this win, Spoelstra said. That was in a win against a very good Philadelphia 76ers team. Zion Williamson Will Miss Start of Season Due to Injury Again, Which is Extremely Worrying. Your default site has been set for 7 days, Stat Just Happened: Zion Williamson is dominating the paint in a way we haven't seen since Shaquille O'Neal, Shaquille O'Neal-type force of nature with a point guard skill set. An unheated garage, a cool basement or any other well-insulated cool building or shed will work. Weve got to have more attention to detail. So, because he had space he was able to attack and be really aggressive.. This alone demonstrates that Zion is already more than the limited player hes often painted to be. They averaged 124 points in that series behind Butlers 37.6 per game, but they pulled this one out with old-fashioned defense and rebounding that has always worked so well before for them at this time of year. Second, it's the most paint pointsanyone has averaged in a single season in almost two decades. Quentin Grimes is available to play. Rozier gave the ball to Gordon Hayward and faked like he was going to set a pin-down screen for P.J. Players and teams have to learn how to win in the NBA postseason, and the Kings got their first hard lesson about that in a long time. Still, 67.4% (1.35 points per attempt) is a great rate of return. Gabe Vincent scored 20 points for the Heat, who became the sixth No. The downside to dealing for Favors is he isn't quite as stretchy a big man as would be ideal next to No. He has the athletic gifts to be a good defender, but hes still figuring out how to use them at the NBA level. Kevin Huerter shot 2-of-9. The fine results from Brooks failure to participate in team postgame media availability during the first round. Its how Zion ended up with 32 points against Gobert and the Jazz. His 3-point shot would be the one nit-picking outlier of his offensive arsenal. While the Lakers game was an obvious example, weve seen the Pels react similarly in other games during this stretch. I was in Mexico, I was standing over I dont remember what course I was playing but I was standing over, I was about 100 yards in, and there was nothing. We all remember Allen for his step-back three in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA finals, forcing overtime against the Spurs and changing that series. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. The Pelicans players know how hard theyll have to work to match that kind of production with their limited 3-point shooting. His crossovermakes him a tough cover in space because of how quickly he takes advantage of the smallest of openings. With every team having played at least 10 games since the All-Star break, here are the five teams that have seen the biggest jump in points scored per 100 possessions from before the break to after it: Biggest post-break jump, points scored per 100 possessions. Brunson was 0 for 7 from outside and committed five turnovers. Winning in the postseason with Sabonis is something the Kings need to figure out his lack of floor spacing and defense (although he was better on that end this series) hinder Sacramento in the playoffs. Through his first 85 career games, NBA defenses have not found an answer for Zion, but that has not stopped his game from being critiqued. With Williamson rarely looking to score outside of the paint he's taken a grand total of eight shots from midrange and 24 shots from 3-point range this season According to NBA.com , the New Orleans Pelicans star averaged 20.3 points per game in the paint. To tie a bow on it, Williamson is a good passer. It doesn't help that Williamson is lightning quick. Here you can see Williamson notice Embiid is ready to rotate again for another block. His 3-point shot would be the one nit-picking outlier of his offensive arsenal. Like Antetokounmpo, Williamson has been criticized for not attempting shots outside of the paint at any meaningful volume. If his defender anticipates the screen, he'll take off in the other direction. 1, Defensive Player Ladder: Turner climbs to No. He did plenty of other things they needed, including staying in the game after getting hurt with 5:05 to play, remaining on the court for a while and then limping to the bench during a timeout before coming back out to shoot the free throws. Transition and cut (non-roll-man catches in the paint, for the most part) play-types are still where Williamson is doing the highest volume of work. This might have been the greatest Stephen Curry game of them all. The whole point of having a player like Valaninas is to make the game steadier when things slow down and take advantage of having a capable post scorer to maneuver one-on-one. With Williamson rarely looking to score outside of the paint he's taken a grand total of eight shots from midrange and 24shots from 3-point range this season you'd think giving him space would be the easiest way to contain him. He's slightly undersized to play power forward or centre at 6-foot-6, but he has the size to power his way through bigger defenders when he gets intothe paint. Domantas Sabonis led the Kings with 22 points, but he was outplayed by Kevon Looney in Game 7, particularly in the second half Looney had more offensive rebounds (10) than Sabonis had total rebounds (eight). While the Pelicans lack of spacing and dearth of supplementary scoring options have played a large part in the offenses stagnation, the ball getting stuck with McCollum (and Ingram) has also hurt. His passing chops caught my eye early in his rookie season and he's shown real signs of improvement this season. NBA Play-In - West - 9th Place vs 10th Place, Stephen A.: Zion might've cost Pelicans an NBA Finals appearance. 1 defense since the All-Star break, the most defensive boards since the break, the leagues best 3-point shooting team in the clutch. Their average margin of defeat in their 16 losses is 6.3. He will take what is given to him; often that has been the basket. (No other player has more than four attempts without a make in those situations.). Williamsons 18.9 ppg in the restricted area are the most in the last 25 years, but his 67.4% shooting in the restricted area ranks just 17th among 47 players with at least 200 restricted-area attempts. In what looks on paper to be an even series. One reason is their performance in close games. He is a New Orleans native. WebZion Williamson Stats and news - NBA stats and news on New Orleans Pelicans Forward Zion Williamson Allen described the shot, back around 1998, that changed how he perceived golf. Shooting just 41.9 percent from the field entering the game against New Orleans, Mitchell has began to turn the corner when it comes to his scoring efficiency early in the 2021 season. Losing perhaps the most dominant paint scorer in the game certainly changes the dynamic drastically. Jimmy Butler is a master at drawing fouls. The Kings are still learning. They have stocked up on a number of young players the team would have imagined could grow and develop alongside Williamson, but instead, most have struggled to adjust to life in the NBA. The player closest to Williamson is Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 16.9points per game in the paint. However, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports Randle is likely out (which means hes out). What they have in their corner is Wardell Stephen Curry. In fact, if you counted only games that werent within five points in the last five minutes, the Mavs would have the best record in the West. Breaking down the Golden State-Los Angeles matchup with 3 things to watch, 1 X-factor and a series prediction. Before joining The Athletic, he was a writer at The Times-Picayune/NOLA Media Group, and he's been on the Pelicans beat since 2016. Ingrams passing has gradually improved throughout his four seasons in New Orleans. Its an admirable philosophy, one that many developing young players could benefit from. first episode of NBCs new Beyond the Fairway podcast. Until defenses figure out how to take the basics away from him, asking him to dig in his bag and get complicated just for the sake of complexity is missing the point. We want to continue to grow Dysons game in that position where hes having the ball (and) making plays for his teammates. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages, Power Rankings, Week 15: Jazz climb to No. Its his field goal percentage. This leaves many wondering, what really is Williamsons ceiling, with such a limited, albeit impactful, skill set?
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