New Orleans Pelicans (Dec 1): Latest update on CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson's availability
The New Orleans Pelicans (10-9) face the San Antonio Spurs (3-15) on Friday. The Spurs have struggled this season, winning just three games and looking like one of the least talented teams in the NBA. The Pelicans, though, have been impressive despite missing one of their star players for most of the season.
New Orleans should have their star talents available. Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, and Brandon Ingram are healthy and expected to play.Trey Murphy III could make his season debut, as he's listed as questionable.
Fan-favorite guard Jose Alvarado and Matt Ryan are also questionable, while Larry Nance Jr is out. Nevertheless, the Pelicans will be pleased to have their star trio sharing the court.
New Orleans has been waiting to get a prolonged period of health from Zion Williamson so that they can figure out how well the current roster complements his unique size and skillset.
McCollum will also ensure that the New Orleans Pelicans have a reliable source of dribble penetration, on-ball creation and three-level scoring to help space the floor and take some of the burden off Ingram.
New Orleans Pelicans' Zion Williamson needs to prove that he's a star
When he entered the NBA in 2019, Zion Williamson was a viral sensation who had dominated in high school and college. However, the explosive forward's career has been derailed by a string of injury issues, leading many to believe that his overall developmental ceiling has been lowered.
The New Orleans Pelicans are still all-in on Williamson and developing him into one of the best players in the NBA. However, he needs to prove that he can still be the dominant player many believe he can be.
In 15 games this season, Williamson is averaging 24 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.9 assists, shooting 56.6% and 50% from the 3-point range on a limited sample size.
Williamson needs to improve his impact on the glass and show that he defends at an elite level beyond being a rim-protector as a weakside helper. Of course, having a full-strength roster around him should allow Williamson to play to his strengths and produce at a high level.
Nevertheless, the pressure is on for the Duke product to prove that multiple years of injuries haven't lowered his overall potential or ability to be a long-term building block for the Pelicans.
The best way Williamson can do so is by providing consistent impact while remaining healthy. Only Then, gradual improvements will occur, and some of the concerns will dissipate.