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Andrew LopezESPN
NEW ORLEANS – New Orleans Pelicans’ experiments with Zion Williamson as ball handling mayor this season have been largely downgraded for him to get a recovery and push it up or the team taking it with dead balls and free throws .
But on Friday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, with starting guard Lonzo Ball out with a hip injury, Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy decided it was time for a higher dose of “Point Zion.”
“Tonight, we just decided to play it all night,” Van Gundy said. “At least as far as he could go. He had the ball in his hand all the time and the ability to play and everything else.”
The result was probably the best game of Williamson’s career: 37 points (two out of his career), 15 rebounds in his career and eight assists, all with a 101-94 victory.
“He played the game the way you should play the game. He was just great,” Van Gundy said.
According to ESPN Stats & Information research, 20-year-old Williamson became the youngest player in league history to have at least 35 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in an NBA game.
“It seems natural to me,” Williamson said of the ball handling duties on his shoulders. “I’ve been playing the game since I was 4. At the moment, it feels natural. I’m still learning, but certain things feel natural.”
While the Pelicans began to really bend to Williamson as the initiator of the crime in early February, Friday’s game made a big difference. According to Second Spectrum data, Williamson brought the ball 35 times, the most he did all season. His best precedent was 25. He also brought it 12 times in the fourth quarter, equal to the highest he had in a single quarter.
Williamson said his confidence has grown over the past two months and he attributes it to his stepfather, Lee Anderson, and Pelicans assistant coach Teresa Weatherspoon. Weatherspoon was also partly responsible for Williamson’s traction jumper on the baseline in the fourth quarter, which made the pelican bench a frenzy.
“Yes, I have this in my bag. That’s all it is [Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski] he said I wanted to be a perfectionist, “Williamson said.” I want to get the closest and lightest shot. But my teammates and especially T-Spoon. She said, “Z, just give me one. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to shoot it again. “
“When I shot him, he felt good. I liked the result, to be honest. She tells me every game, but tonight it was like, just give me one. I tried. And it worked.”
While the pelicans went to Williamson on Friday out of necessity on Friday with Ball out, it will happen more often in New Orleans anyway.
“We want to give him more experience with these things, because I think that’s his future in this game,” Van Gundy said. “I really do.” He only needs representatives and more and more, and we have increased it throughout the year, giving him more and more opportunities. We would like to offer more in the future. We will try to build a few more things for him. “