"You've got Zion and a top 10 pick that's waiting in the wings that weren't on the court all year" - Bobby Marks emphasizes New Orleans Pelicans' strong position heading into offseason
The New Orleans Pelicans ended their season on a first-round exit at the hands of the Phoenix Suns after a competitive six-game series.
After an injury to Phoenix's Devin Booker, the Pelicans did not fail to capitalize on his absence, and it took a Chris Paul master class to finally put them away.
In retrospect, the Pelicans' series was more reflective of the Suns' playoff demeanor than anything else. CJ McCollum established a firm footing in the organization after being traded to New Orleans at the February deadline.
Bobby Marks, ESPN's NBA front-office insider, said:
"The state of the roster is strong. You've got 14 players under contract. We haven't seen Zion all year. You're going to have a top 10 pick. ... You've got Zion and a top 10 pick that's waiting in the wings that weren't on the court all year.
"You'll get a full year of CJ McCollum, you'll get a full year of Larry Nance Jr,, you'll have your younger players develop ... so the roster is strong."
The situation with Zion Williamson and New Orleans Pelicans
Zion Williamson is eligible for a max rookie extension in 2022, a deal totalling $181 million over five years.
Williamson has been injury-laden since his rookie season.
In his rookie season, Williamson played in just 24 games, averaging 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. His shooting splits were 58.3/42.9/64.0, but take his 3-point percentage with a grain of salt because he averaged 0.6 3-point shot attempts per game.
“To be a Pelicans, there’s no better place.”
- Dyson Daniels after being selected https://t.co/9tNd0wyReZ
In his second season, Williamson has played 61 games, averaging 27.0 ppg on 61.1/29.4/69.8 shooting splits. He became the first player to average 27 ppg on over 60% shooting. Of note, his 3-point percentage fell off a cliff, but he still averaged 0.6 3-point shot attempts per game. He was named an All-Star but missed the final six games with a finger injury.
Williamson missed all of last season after offseason foot surgery.
As pointed out by Marks (and discussed by others), a contract mimicking Joel Embiid's extension in 2017 suits Williamson well without hurting the Pelicans.
Williamson is part of an exclusive group of two No.1 picks (him and Greg Oden) who have played less than 100 games in their first three seasons owing to injuries. Williamson has played 85 of a possible 226 games. Oden is often deemed one of the biggest busts in NBA history. He was picked No.1 ahead of Kevin Durant in 2007.