3 Clear Overreactions From Zion Williamson's NBA Debut
By Mark Powell
Zion Williamson, America loves you.
The former Duke star made his NBA debut in style, coming up huge in the fourth quarter and scoring 16 straight points to even give the Pelicans a shot against the San Antonio Spurs. Regardless of the result, Pelicans fans were in a state of pure euphoria, leading to some....pretty hilarious takes throughout the game. Thankfully, we kept track.
3. Zion Williamson is a 3-Point Archer
Williamson went 4-for-4 from three during his 16-point stretch, and it was borderline otherworldly. Realistically, however, he's only got to shoot around the 35 percent mark to keep defenders honest. It's a fantastic start, and he'll eventually regress to the mean. Yet, what this does is open up driving opportunities to make Zion all the more dangerous off the dribble.
2. Zion Williamson's Weight is a Problem
It didn't help that ESPN literally told us all how much Williamson weighed at least five times in the first half. Did we need a graphic? Zion is still getting into NBA game shape and he's fresh off injury, hence the minutes limit. Eventually, he'll thin down if necessary, but for now he's a bowling ball just waiting to explode. Let him do just that without constantly shaming the man.
1. Zion Can Still Win Rookie of the Year
No way, Pels fans. Despite the MVP chants on Night 1 and the constant hype, Ja Morant is still far and away the Rookie of the Year favorite, and Williamson isn't even close. Morant's Grizzlies are also (like the Pelicans) in the middle of the playoff push for the No. 8 seed, and the Murray State product is practically carrying his squad. No dice.