Shaquille O'Neal praises Zion Williamson's breakout season: "He's probably a little bit more explosive than I was"
After missing all of last season, Zion Williamson is leading the New Orleans Pelicans into a breakout campaign. Williamson is playing like an MVP, and Shaquille O'Neal has nothing but praise for him. The LA Lakers legend even believes that Williamson is more explosive than him.
In an interview with Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo! Sports, O'Neal discussed Williamson and the upstart Pelicans. Shaq agreed that the former No. 1 pick is a combination of him and Charles Barkley, while also praising the every aspect of Williamson's game.
"He's probably a little bit more explosive than I was," O'Neal said. "He's playing great, he's doing what he's supposed to do. They're number one in the West. I like what he did the other day — '0.1 seconds, I don't care, I'm gonna throw it down for the fans.'
"I like the way he's playing. I wish him well. I have nothing bad to say about the young fella. Usually, I give a guy three to four years, but he plays hard every game."
Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans are tied with the Memphis Grizzlies for first place in the Western Conference. They currently have a record of 18-9 and was on a seven-game winning streak before the Utah Jazz snapped it on Tuesday.
Williamson is playing like an MVP, averaging 25.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 22 games, while shooting 61.0% from the field. The Pelicans are looking like legitimate contenders, but they’re not just about Williamson.
Brandon Ingram is a former All-Star, while CJ McCollum provides veteran leadership and stability. Jonas Valanciunas is manning the paint, while Herb Jones and Larry Nance Jr. are important players on the defensive end.
Jose Alvarado is one of the best backup point guards in the league, and youngsters such as Trey Murphy III and Dyson Daniles are contributors.
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Is Zion Williamson an MVP favorite?
Zion Williamson is playing like an MVP for the suddenly red-hot New Orleans Pelicans. But is Williamson an MVP favorite? According to ESPN’s Tim Legler, Williamson is not the favorite, but he's made the jump into the Top 5.
Legler believes that Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics are the favorites to win the Michael Jordan Trophy. He added that Williamson entered the fold and joined Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
The former NBA player also pointed out how Williamson dominated the Phoenix Suns in their last two games. The Suns lost both games, proving that Williamson belongs in the MVP conversation.
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