5 reasons to be excited for Zion Williamson's development in the 2021-22 NBA season
Zion Williamson is entering his third NBA season and if the progression shown from his rookie year into his sophomore season continues, we're on for a superstar-type campaign from him. The New Orleans Pelicans forward, who turned 21 years of age on July 6th, has already been an NBA All-Star within his first two seasons and has quickly become one of the most dominant forces in the league.
Williamson put up 22.5 points per game with 58/42/64 shooting splits in a small sample size in his rookie year. A torn meniscus allowed him to play only 24 games as a rookie, but he lived up to the hype in his first few games.
5 Reasons why Zion Williamson's game is on the right path in the NBA
Last year, Zion Williamson exploded offensively, putting up 27 points per game with a 61% field-goal efficiency in 61 regular-season games. The New Orleans Pelicans missed a chance to be in the Play-In tournament as the team did not meet the expectations generated by the potential of its young players.
Williamson's fractured finger did not help the team's late push either as he missed the last six regular-season matches.
Looking at the 2021-22 NBA season, the New Orleans Pelicans, with new coach Willie Green and a more experienced, established young core, might be contenders to enter the 2022 NBA Playoffs. However, it all seems tied up with Zion Williamson's progression, which looks unbelievable.
In this article, we will look at five reasons to be excited about Zion Williamson's game in the 2021-22 NBA season.
#5 Williamson understands his weaknesses on offense
Zion Williamson might be described as one-dimensional on offense, but it really wasn't a problem for his offensive game in the 2020-21 NBA season. There also does not seem to be anything that will hinder him going forward.
In his first season, Williamson made 42.9% of his threes, attempting only 14 in 24 games. In the 2020-21 campaign, Williamson shot 29.4% from the three-point line, but he attempted only 34 threes in 61 games (0.6 per game).
Zion Williamson is averaging more points (20.3) from just the paint than
Domantas Sabonis
Kristaps Porzingis
Tobias Harris
Ja Morant
Gordon Hayward
D’Angelo Russell
Fred VanVleet
Anthony Edwards
Andrew Wiggins
Kemba Walker
from the whole floor this season. https://t.co/RjMmhu3A4L
Williamson is not a great three-point shooter, but he understands that and does not force those kind of shots. The 21-year-old also knows his true dominance comes close to the basket, and he will bulldoze his defenders in the paint to make it into those positions. It seemingly works for him as well, as he made 61% of his two-point shots last year and also shot the fourth-most free throws in the entire NBA.
#4 Advanced stats prove Zion Williamson's impact
Zion Williamson's average of points per game from last year (27), certainly looks tremendous in his stats, as does his 61.1% field-goal percentage from the 2020-21 NBA season. However, to prove that those aren't empty stats, the advanced numbers also show that the left-handed forward is a dominant player who seems to be in the right train of progression.
In the 2020-21 NBA season, Williamson was amongst the NBA's elite, as his name often appeared on relevant leaderboards (though it is mostly offense). Zion Williamson ranked in the Top 15 in Effective Shooting Percentage, True Shooting Percentage, Win Shares and Box Plus/Minus.
Moreover, he was in the Top 5 in Player Efficiency Rating and Offensive Win Shares as well.
Also Read: What is Zion’s Net Worth in 2021?