Zion Williamson is a cement mixer on skis who’s not only scoring more points in the paint than anyone else in the league, but also topping what Giannis Antetokounmpo did through both of his MVP seasons. Williamson’s 18.8 points in the paint are 1.2 below what Shaquille O’Neal produced at age 29, and there isn’t much a defense can do once he gets position around the basket, either cutting in from the weakside, putting back someone else’s miss or hurtling in with a live dribble.
The Pelicans know how and where Zion can dominate, but during the offseason they still decided to acquire Steven Adams and give him a two-year contract extension.