It remains to be seen whether the NBA will be able to resume its 2019/20 season or whether teams outside of the playoff picture will get an opportunity to participate. However, if the Pelicans do get a chance to play this summer, Zion Williamson isn’t worried about needing several weeks to get back into playing shape, as Andrew Lopez of ESPN writes.
“Honestly, I’m ready now,” Williamson told TNT’s Ernie Johnson in an interview earlier this week. “I’ve been staying in shape, working on myself and just staying ready. You never know when the time is going to come when they’re going to say, ‘All right, let’s resume.’ I don’t want to have to look around at my teammates and say, ‘Sorry, guys, I’m not ready.’ So I’m staying ready for my teammates.”
Prior to the suspension of the NBA’s season, the Pelicans were hoping to push for a spot in the postseason, entering the home stretch trailing the eighth-seeded Grizzlies by 3.5 games but facing a favorable schedule. Williamson was disappointed to lose the momentum he and the team were building, but acknowledged to Johnson that the hiatus could be good for his body after he missed the first half of the season with a knee injury.
“It sucks because I had just come back after sitting three, four months without playing basketball or playing in an NBA game,” Williamson said. “As soon as I felt like I was getting going, this happens. It sucks from that perspective. But I think it’s a good thing because it gives me extra time to work on my knee and work on my body overall.”
Here’s more on Zion and the Pelicans:
- The Pelicans were encouraged this season by the instant chemistry on display between Williamson and Lonzo Ball, one of the centerpieces of last year’s Anthony Davis trade, as Lopez writes in a separate ESPN story. “We think the fit is really, really good,” executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said. “(But) I didn’t think it would look quite like this this quickly.” Griffin added that the team believes the two former lottery picks are “just now scratching the surface of what they can do.”
- Retaining Brandon Ingram this offseason is a “no-brainer,” but the Pelicans may face a tougher long-term decision on Jrue Holiday, John Hollinger says in a conversation with William Guillory of The Athletic. As Hollinger explains, the team will have to decide whether it makes sense to keep Holiday beyond his current contract, well into his 30s, or whether it might be more prudent to shop him before his deal expires in the hopes of gathering assets that would better line up with a Williamson/Ingram timeline.
- In the second part of their discussion on the Pelicans’ future, Guillory and Hollinger examine what a Holiday trade might look like if the club goes that route, and explore a few other topics, including Alvin Gentry‘s future in New Orleans and the team’s center spot.
Zion, Lonzo, Ingram is a solid young core. Plus seems like a gd mix, chemistry. Holiday is a vet that can lead them. Eventually they would be smart to move him for gd value, younger. Their future looks bright. Just one thing Zion. You are a major talent. Your game, the way you play. Will not work over the years. Get a nutritionist, a private cook. Keep your weight top 250 lbs. Joints in basketball can’t take that pounding. It’s an unnecessary action. That will only lead to malfunction. We want to see you have a long career Zion. Eat Fish not meat. No fry food. Live right live long play longer.
Did you apply to be Zion’s nutritionist? Half sarcasm half not as it is sound advice but people like to eat what they like
Sign and trade Ingram for Lauri Markeneen and a first round pick.
Just don’t think Ingram is a good fit next to Zion. Ingram doesn’t exactly space the floor and he likes to have lots of touches. Lonzo and Zion also both like to have lots of touches and both of them also aren’t great floor spacers. Plus paying Ingram a huge deal now might have an affect on paying Lonzo next year and make the books abit more complicated in the future when it comes to keeping Holiday and paying Zion.
Markeneen on the other hand doesn’t need lots of touches, is a great floor spacing big and would be resigned for a lot cheaper plus your getting yourself back a first.
1. Lonzo Ball
2. Jrue Holiday
3. Zion Williamson
4. Lauri Markeneen
5. Marc Gasol (1 year deal, 10mil)
Zo and Zion have experience around them with Jrue and Marc. They have floor spacers in Markeneen and Gasol. They can use Jrue as a second/third option in pick and pop/pick and roll situations with either of the two bigs.
Defensively Ball and Holiday are a good duo, Zion if he can stay fit would be solid, Marc Gasol is a former all defensive team player and can be physical down low.
Then off the bench they can keep the young guys NAW, Josh Hart, Jaxson Hayes and Frank Jackson with some more vets like Dario Saric and Solomon Hill.
I don’t see Zion at the three, his outside game is not strong enough yet to be on the perimeter.
The game is getting more position less every year as a SF I don’t think he would play on the perimeter much. He would have Markeneen and Gasol spacing the floor as bigs, he could work down low more against small guys as a SF.
The Pelicans often played at a fast pace last year and it wouldn’t be the traditional 3 outside 2 down low system. Obviously when they do get into a half court offence and need to create they have Zo and Holiday who can create, they have bigs for spacing they have Zion who is a tough match up and Gasol and Markeneen would both be tough in pick and roll/pick and pop situations a 7 footers with good shots
Never a good idea to trade a star, very difficult to come by… but if NOP wants to trade Ingram they need to look to a much better package than Markkanen & a first, starting by another star, picks & more…
BTW the one that must go in the “Big Easy” is Jrue, gotta get rid of him this summer, & for him just take anything, clearly his value at his age is much lower than Ingram’s.