Last night was the fifth game of the season for the number one in the last draft. If James Harden and his gang won 117-109 in front of Brandon Ingram’s teammates, the outcome of the match could have been different if Zion Williamson had touched the ball in the money time a bit more.
Since the start of his NBA career, Zion has responded rather well to the enormous expectations placed on him. Before the game against the Texans, the former Duke resident presented interesting stats with 19.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 62.5% in the shoot including 66.7% in 3-points, all in 25 minutes from playing time. But the most important thing in all of this is the impression of physical domination released by the player who is still in the running-in period. And on the Toyota Center side last night, big Zion once again displayed its enormous potential: 21 points and 10 rebounds, 8 out of 14 on the shoot. Yes, but there you are, in the fourth quarter, the strong winger had only four shots: two free throws (for two successful) and two missed lay-ups. Not great when you’re supposed to be the star of your team and the match is played in one or two possessions. Asked after the meeting about this aspect, the coach Alvin Gentry assured … that it would be the last time:
“Zion can’t go four minutes without hitting the ball. It’s my fault. I have to make sure that this does not happen again in the future. “
You surprise me. Before being snubbed, Williamson had given full force to the post against the ultra small ball of the Rockets who once again opted for a major five without a rod of more than two meters. And P.J. Tucker, who was on mission on him, could only see the difference in weight that separated him from the prodigy of New Orleans. Whether at the post, in transition or even on the alley-oops of Lonzo Ball, the 19-year-old player represents a perpetual threat to his opponents and confirms this question that everyone will ask when he is at the top of his physical qualities : who can defend on him? The only downside in his game, however: the free throws because before the match last night, his percentage was… 48%. With playing time on the rise (33 minutes for the beast yesterday) and automatisms that are created with his teammates, Alvin Gentry and his players have every interest in putting their nugget in the best conditions by feeding him with balloons either pick and rolls or on post-up even if we can understand the reluctance of the coach not to burn his jewel and take the risk of shooting the player and his knees.
Zion Williamson has the potential to be one of the League’s indefensible superstars. Speed, power, good hands near the circle, and if the physique holds, it will not take long to replace the franchise of Louisiana in the heights of the West. In addition to that the kid seems to have the right attitude, because following his low number of shots in the fourth quarter, the interested party for his part was content to say that his friends had taken good shots and they had nothing to blame them for. Take some Kylian Mbappé seeds.
Text source: ESPN Andrew Lopez
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