Pelicans building around Zion Williamson
Michael Scotto: The Pelicans are going to build around Zion Williamson. I’m told the Pelicans recognize this roster around Zion is a little bit disjointed. I’ve heard New Orleans will seek positional upgrades to improve their spacing and not bring in someone who clogs the paint and is in Zion’s way. When I talk to executives and scouts around the league about this, I remember one scout said to me, “The Zion you saw at the end of the season is the guy that can take the Pelicans far. They wouldn’t be able to go as far with Brandon Ingram as the focal point. Zion has to be that guy for better or worse with his injuries if New Orleans is ever going to make an eventual championship-type run. Zion has that special type of talent.” Will Guillory: Everybody you talk to with this team behind the scenes says he’s been a different person the past couple of months of the season with his connectivity with the team, his commitment to putting in work off the court, and the way he’s committing to defense. It’s the little things he’s been doing. That’s where they saw the superstar jump. We always say the ability and the numbers with how he dominated offensively, but I think there were always questions about whether he was able to do the little things that are required of a superstar. I think he started checking all those boxes towards the end of the season.
Source: HoopsHype
Source: HoopsHype
What’s the buzz on Twitter?
Evan Sidery @esidery
The Pelicans are not expected to re-sign Jonas Valanciunas, per @MikeAScotto (hoopshype.com/lists/pelicans…).
New Orleans will be prioritizing floor-spacing around Zion Williamson this offseason.
Valanciunas becomes one of the best available bigs in unrestricted free agency. pic.twitter.com/8WiCheMDZc – 12:20 PM
The Pelicans are not expected to re-sign Jonas Valanciunas, per @MikeAScotto (hoopshype.com/lists/pelicans…).
New Orleans will be prioritizing floor-spacing around Zion Williamson this offseason.
Valanciunas becomes one of the best available bigs in unrestricted free agency. pic.twitter.com/8WiCheMDZc – 12:20 PM
Michael Scotto @MikeAScotto
Reporting on Pelicans star Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram trade possibilities, CJ McCollum’s future, free agency for Jonas Valanciunas, a possible Trey Murphy extension, Jose Alvarado, Naji Marshall, and more with @WillGuillory on the @hoopshype podcast. hoopshype.com/lists/pelicans… – 10:46 AM
Reporting on Pelicans star Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram trade possibilities, CJ McCollum’s future, free agency for Jonas Valanciunas, a possible Trey Murphy extension, Jose Alvarado, Naji Marshall, and more with @WillGuillory on the @hoopshype podcast. hoopshype.com/lists/pelicans… – 10:46 AM
Peter Vecsey @PeterVecsey1
The absolute best part about Minnesota, Oklahoma City, Indiana, and even New Orleans (when Zion is healthy) gaining recognition in the playoffs,
is that we’re guaranteed to see them often on national television for seasons to come… – 12:04 AM
The absolute best part about Minnesota, Oklahoma City, Indiana, and even New Orleans (when Zion is healthy) gaining recognition in the playoffs,
is that we’re guaranteed to see them often on national television for seasons to come… – 12:04 AM
More on this storyline
A federal appeals court has upheld a 2021 ruling that NBA star Zion Williamson’s contract with a marketing agent was void because the agent was not licensed in North Carolina when the two entered an agreement in 2019. Florida-based agent Gina Ford had sought $100 million from Williamson, claiming the former Duke All-American improperly broke an agreement she had to represent him in endorsement deals. -via ESPN / May 6, 2024
The Pelicans are not expected to offer Brandon Ingram a contract extension this offseason. Ingram is eligible to sign a four-year, $208 million deal, but New Orleans will be going in another direction. Trey Murphy III is also eligible for a rookie-scale extension expected to pay him $20-25 million annually. All signs point towards New Orleans prioritizing Murphy over Ingram as their wing of the future. New Orleans will have Ingram’s $36 million salary and valuable draft capital to attempt to pair another star alongside Zion Williamson. -via Twitter @esidery / May 6, 2024
During a conversation with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson on the Scoop B Radio Podcast, Karl explained why the two explosive dunkers are alike. “I like the comparison to Shawn Kemp and Kenyon [Martin],” the coach said. “People don’t understand Shawn Kemp was bigger than people thought he was. He had skinny legs but he weighed like… 270 pounds. Now Zion’s bigger than that and what Zion has and what Shawn has was that 2nd and 3rd jump that was unbelievable, you know? He would miss it and go back up and get it and Zion does that quite often.” Karl expressed belief in Williamson’s potential to become a special player due to his ability to pass the ball. “I still have a lot of belief that Zion could really be special. The reason I say that is because he has great vision. He’s a very good passer with the basketball and he makes the game a little bit like [Nikola] Jokic — It’s not complicated, it’s pretty simple,” he continued. -via TalkBasket / May 3, 2024