Zion Williamson: NBA’s first team is not a guarantee
When the Pelicans selected Zion Williamson as the first team of the 2019 Draft, the plan was to take them to the top of the NBA. But six years later, the story has been completely different.
In 2019, New Orleans Pelicans The lottery were literally removed: with the 6% chance of obtaining the first selection for the Draft, after registering the seventh worst record in LNBA (33-49), the paper that came out of the thombola was yours, which guaranteed them to be able to choose the new face of the franchise.
With the exit of Anthony Davisthe organization needed a figure and the bet was for Zion Williamsona great star of the Duke Universityfor which they sighed from the day of the draw:
“I see this situation in which he is a unique talent and what we will build will be,” said David Griffin, vice president of teams.
Zion seemed to comply with all the qualities: he was the collegiate player of the year, there unanimous and even had his own camera during the March Madness, although the University of Duke fell in the final of the regional phase, which did not prevent him from being declared ready for the NBA, in the midst of a great expectation.
However, more than one five years later, the fortune of the Pelicans has not changed, with a Williamson who has given signs of his talent, but that has passed most of his career as a professional in the list of injured, unable to take the institution to the next level.
What happened is a confirmation that the first named in the NBA Draft It is not guaranteed to become the transformer of an entire squad or a city, despite the great hopes with which they land at the highest level, although in the case of the striker he can still modify his way because he barely has 24.
Zion, who had suffered a knee sprain that left him almost a month without playing in his only year in Duke, offered an advance of what has been his career, even before debuting in the association because in his pretemporada as a rookie the meniscus was hurt, so he made his appearance in the Dels until January 22, 2020, with his team already with a brand of 17-27.
In that campaign he participated in just 24 duels, with an average of 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 27.8 minutes every night, which earned him to be third in the vote for the Rookie of the yearbehind the winner, Ja Morant (Memphis) and Kendrick Nunn (Miami), but ahead of players like Tyler Herro, Darius Garland or Jordan Poole.
New Orleans ended with a 30-42 mark to be last in the southwest division, without playoffs, although Brandon Ingramwho was part of the change he sent to Davis to Lakershe was considered the player who improved the most, so his society with Zion foreshadowed great things in Louisiana.
The next calendar allowed to observe a little more from Williamson, who played 61 games, improved his numbers to 27 units, 7.2 tables and 33.2 minutes and was even chosen to the game of stars as a starter, thanks to the public vote and played 14 minutes for the box of Kevin Durant.
But neither the change of coach, from Alvin Gentry A Stan Van Gundy gave results because the Smoothie King Center team had a 31-41 record, to be a fourth of his sector and stay again outside the postseason, with a zion that was absent in closing to think about a future in which he was healthy.
That did not happen, Williamson lost the entire 2021-22 due to a fracture in the right foot, although the Pelicans did describe, with a 36-46 mark that served to be eighth of the west, with Willie Green as a new coach, to fall into the first round against the Phoenix Suns by 2-4.
On July 6, 2022, on his 22nd birthday, New Orleans gave him a contract extension for five years and $ 193 million that could be up to $ 231 million if he met some objectives, such as All-NBA and without an output option for the player, which reiterated his desire to win championships with this project.
In 2022-23, Williamson returned to the stamers from the beginning, with an action of 25 goals, nine rebounds and four robberies against Nets and although later he lacked some quotes, his numbers (26 units and seven tables on average), they took him to a new choice for the All-Star.
However, with the beginning of 2023 they returned their health problems, in a defeat against Philadelphia on January 2 he suffered a distension in the tendon of the right corva that left him out of the star game (replaced by Anthony Edwards) and the rest of the campaign, so he acted in 29 of the 82 games of his squad.
Without it, the Pelicans had a record of 42-40 and as ninths of the West they received at home the play-in, but fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder, to stay again without the ticket to playoffs.
The 2023-24 is until the moment in which Zion has had more action because despite some scheduled absences it was 70 of the 82 dates of the calendar, with averages of 22.9 points, 5.8 tables and five assists, although its level was discreet.
With a 49-33 mark, New Orleans returned to the play-in, fell at home against Lakers, although Zion scored 40, but three days later he surpassed Sacramento Kings to move forward, although without Williamson, who was injured the tendon of the left corva and did not appear in the sweep suffered before the Thunder in the first round (he has not debuted in Playoffs).
This campaign has been more of the same for the figure in Louisiana, which barely played six of the first nine duels, before being low until January 7 and has seen action in 23 of 61 opportunities, and even was already suspended by Coach Willie Green for being late for a flight.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans are penultimate in the west and already let Ingram to Toronto to begin the reconstruction, knowing that they do not have Williamson in the long term because he has never played the 82 games of a season and since his election in the Draft has not transformed the franchise as expected, nor is it the face of a winning organization.
The recent background
In the last two decades fortune has been unequal with the number one teams: there have been great disappointments, such as Andrea Bargnani that Toronto Raptors arrived in 2006, Greg Oden In 2007, Portland Trail Blazers, Anthony Bennett In 2013 with Cleveland Cavaliers or Markelle Fultz In 2017 with Philadelphia 76ers.
Others did not live up to expectations, such as Andrew Boguttaken by Milwaukee Bucks in 2005 and champion with Golden State Warriors in 2015, although without being a star or Ben Simmonswhich only shone in its beginnings with Philadelphia, since 2016.
Some more fulfilled, although they did not become icons, such as Blake GriffinStar of the Clippers as of 2009, John Wallfive times there after landing with Washington Wizards in 2010, Andrew WigginsRookie of the year with Cleveland in 2014-15 and champion with Warriors in 2022, Karl-Anthony TownsRookie of the year with Minnesota Timberwolves in 2015-16 and named four times to the game of stars or Deandre Aytonwho left Phoenix Suns (2018) towards Portland.
Others have had successful races: Derrick Roseselected by Chicago Bulls in 2008 he was a rookie of the year and then MVP in 2011, although the injuries stopped him; Kyrie Irving He was champion with Cavs, who took him in 2011 and has gone to eight All-Star, among other achievements and Anthony Davis, recruited by New Orleans Hornets in 2012, who was champion with Lakers in 2020 and has won two Olympic golds.
To the most recent, time will place them in place, but Edwards, chosen by Timberwolves in 2020 goes in the right direction, already with gold in Paris 2024, Cunningham cunning Live a great moment with some pistons in playoff positions, as well as Paolo Banchero With Orlando Magic, while Victor Wembanyama It is intended to dominate the league in the immediate future from San Antonio Spurs.
They are the bets that the teams do, who first must win the lottery and then know if they took advantage of their fortune, when opting for a young man who transforms a franchise and a city or, on the contrary, to someone who is surpassed by expectations and pressure and stays in promise, like Zion so far.
