The Lakers did not hesitate to send a group of excellent generals, just to get Jamey to gather in Los Angeles. Seeing that the star player was absent-minded, the pelican had to compromise and give away the inside superstar. Beloved joined the Lakers, with two superstars sitting in the town, soaring into the sky and sitting firmly in the west. The pelican, which won a group of talented young people, broke out and won the first prize. Together with Zion, with the help of Zijin's old team, it opened up a new world.
This wonderful play was completed by two teams of countless people.
This season, the Pelican team finally ended the chaotic years.
You can't blame Davis for bringing genius to Los Angeles. He is just a star who pursues the championship, but New Orleans is far from that height. The past days are dark, and the Pelican team can play a good competitive role, but there is no way to go further.
Eating is tasteless, but it is a pity to abandon it. The tangled people finally made the most correct decision: instead of wasting each other's good years, it is better to give up their righteousness as soon as possible and go their separate ways.
New Orleans was lucky. They won the first prize in the lottery with a very low probability. They are so lucky, because this year's young people have the most dynamic rookie in history-Zion Williamson, and the pelican picked this new star without hesitation in the draft. I thought it was a bleak year, but in desperation they ushered in a new life.
Before, people were worried about Zion's weight and injury tolerance, but after entering the league, such voices became more and more. Zion sprained her knee before the start of the season, and some rumors about it spread. It is reported that Zion will not come back this season, he was seriously injured; There are also many people who hope that Zion will not be in a hurry to come back, and it will not be too late for her to recover next season. The injury made him fidgety and made him make more efforts for his debut.
654381October 23rd, the Pelicans played against the Spurs at home, and the man finally came to yet we called and urged a thousand times before she started toward us.
In the second quarter 10: 35, Hart missed the shot, Zion grabbed the rebound in the frontcourt, made up the basket on the heads of two defenders and got the first point of his career.
There are only 9 minutes left in the fourth quarter, and the long-awaited champion only gets 5 points at this time. Everyone is disappointed with his performance. Spurs used the danger of no one around the pelican to shrink the inside line, and the sleeping beast was completely angered by the tactics of completely emptying. In less than three minutes, Zion scored 17 for four consecutive three-pointers, which ignited the enthusiasm of the fans and made the Pelican team see the hope of the future.
In the history of NBA, there may never be a person who looks a little fat like Zion, but can run and jump so well. He is one size older than James, but he is no less athletic than the little emperor; The weight is almost the same as that of flying pig Buckley, but it has the bounce and explosive power that that tonnage should not have; The destructive power is comparable to O 'Neill's, but it is more flexible and faster than sharks. How to describe this young man? Maybe he is a tank with wings.
On February 1, the Pelican played against the Grizzlies at home. Holiday sent an empty catch directly through the backboard, but it didn't beat Zion. He fished the ball back into the air with his left hand and put it in the basket with his right hand.
On February 2nd, Chicago All-Star Rookie Challenge, the half-time is not over yet. Zion received an inside pass from Morant, and he directly contributed a wonderful two-handed dunk. The slow motion shows that the rebound has been broken by him.
On March 7, the pelican played against the Heat at home, and Zion slipped to the basket while his opponent was not paying attention. Holliday seized this opportunity, hoisted the ball high and sent it into the air. Unfortunately, the ball is a little stronger. Zion waited in the air for a long time before she controlled the ball and buckled it firmly.
There is no doubt that Zion swept the league with his talent. This season, he averaged 23.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks, and his shooting percentage reached 58.9%. 46.2% 。 In addition, there are some things that the data can't reflect that deserve our attention:
Before Zion's comeback, Pelicans averaged 1 14.4 points per game, ranking fifth in the league, with offensive efficiency 109.4 and league 18. After Zion's comeback, Pelican's average score soared to 120.6 points, ranking 1 in the league, and its offensive efficiency increased to 1 14, ranking eighth in the league.
When Zion was present, the Pelican attack efficiency was 1 14, the assist rate was 68.6%, the effective hit rate was 56%, and the true hit rate was 58.5%. After Zion's exit, Pelican's attack efficiency 109.5, assist rate 62%, effective hit rate 53.5% and true hit rate 56.4%.
Zion Williamson's influence on the offensive end of this team is obvious to the naked eye.
The performance of the champion is completely worthy of people's expectation, and the Pelican team finally found the only thrill in the chaos. For them, Zion must be a cornerstone player. They just need to find enough helpers for him in the future and ensure his health. It seems that they are not a playoff team this season, but fortunately, the future direction has been clear. Failure is not terrible, and Pang Hu will use them to win it back.
Another good aspect is that the Pelicans have a lot of bargaining chips, and Holiday and Ingram, two players who are more easily traded, are popular in the free market. Their value can be used to exchange some good helpers for Zion. If you don't seek a deal, it is not impossible to continue running under the existing lineup. It's just that these excellent young people on the team need some time to learn how to win. No matter what happens in the future, the Pelican team has enough advantages and initiative, not to mention the wily David Griffin.
Attacking the strong and defending the weak became the label of the Pelican team. Although the attack was excellent, their defensive performance was poor. This season, they averaged 1 17.4 points, ranking 28th in the league, and their defensive efficiency was only11,ranking 22nd in the league.
Aside from the discussion of the team as a whole, Zion's defense is not as good as volleyball hat. His dynamic physical condition is excellent enough, but he failed to turn his athletic ability into defensive flexibility and tenacity. Most skilled inside players can get what they want in Zion for a while, but the little fat man's enthusiasm and skills in single defense are not excellent.
In addition, Zion's defensive performance is also very poor. His reaction always seems to be half a beat slow, and he often stays in the defensive position to watch the opponent score. The most terrible thing is that it is really difficult for him to concentrate on defense. Opponents can pass around comfortably in front of him, and Zion will probably stand there motionless.
Zion has almost no inside defense ability, so it is the most urgent thing for the pelican to match him with a defense expert. At present, there are the following inside players in the Pelican lineup:
Derrick Favors
Fevos has always been the unsung hero of the Pelican team, with excellent defense, tough style and no possession. On the court, he did all kinds of dirty work in obscurity: struggling to grab every rebound and resisting the friction of the opponent's inside with his stocky body. Every team will like a player like Fevos, who is an important puzzle in the lineup. The fly in the ointment is that Fevos is a little short. When he took the No.5 position, he could clearly feel that he was willing to do more than he could do, while Zion could only play the No.4 position, so it was inevitable that there would be some conflicts between them on the court.
Merry and Okafor.
These two players have similar functions. Putting them on the field is doomed to focus on offense and give up defense. Okafor has always been a technical insider who attacks the strong and defends the weak, and his ability is more suitable for scoring in the rotation time as a substitute; Melly, on the other hand, is an inside shooter with no defense at all. They obviously don't fit in with Zion.
Jackson Hayes
Rookie Hayes was called the new generation cake king before he entered the league. In other words, he has no offensive ability and lives by eating cakes and defending. It seems that his attributes are more in line with Zion, but in fact his performance is not as good as expected. Rookie Hayes, a little confused on the defensive end, often misses people and is robbed of offensive rebounds. He may get along with Zion in the future, but at least not now.
Fevos may be the best answer to the inside question, but he has the right to leave the Pelican during the offseason, and his position conflicts with Zion. It seems it's only a matter of time before New Orleans is worried about their insider.
Bauer, who entered the league as a second show, has always been at the forefront of people. The huge Los Angeles, the shining spotlight and his son's big mouth father all made him feel pressure. No matter what Bauer does wrong, it will be magnified infinitely, and the tepid performance of Los Angeles has become the capital for people to laugh.
Fortunately, now Bauer finally found his home next to Zion, and the two made each other. Their union is a match made in heaven.
Zion's super inside destructive power can attract defense to a great extent, creating shooting space for Bauer who is good at control and defense, and also practicing a new skill-three points. This season, Bauer's three points have improved a lot, and his shooting percentage has increased from 32.9% last season to 38.3%. After Zion's comeback, his three points were upgraded to a higher level. In this way, Brother Ball becomes an organized 3D player, which perfectly meets the needs of the pelican. They already have Ingram, an inside killer who killed Zion and attacked the frame. As an organized player, Bauer is completely suitable for two people to cooperate.
Bauer's passing and defensive ability also activated Zion. Williamson's inside attack is very strong, but he relies on a point guard who sends high-quality passes, and Bauer is the most suitable candidate. Zion is completely different with or without Bauer. When he is present, Pang Hu's efficiency is as high as +20.3, while when he is absent, Pang Hu's efficiency is only -6.3.
Bauer's three-pointer opened the door to a new world for the Pelicans. No matter from the perspective of combat power or future upper limit, the pelican is bound to leave him to assist Zion Williamson.
This season's Ying Ge has some Durant charm, and people have high hopes for him. It is not surprising that no team will let such a good young man go easily. Since Zion came back, the Pelicans have been balancing the ball. They tried many methods, but the combination of Pang Hu and Ying Ge didn't produce any chemical reaction. Both of them need to attack with the ball, and the threat of not having the ball in hand will be greatly reduced, forming a situation that when two people appear together, one person often scores desperately and the other can only turn back and run.
Ingram has been the core of this team for the first half of the season, but everything has changed since Zion came back, and Ying Ge has obviously become the second choice in the team. He seems to be acceptable in person, but it is uncertain whether he will contact his next home during the offseason. Besides, the pelican may not make him Zion's partner. After all, their combination seems so out of place.
Ingram, who doesn't take it, has a very high upper limit, which will definitely make the management of the pelican feel very entangled.
No matter how miserable and difficult the present situation is, the Pelican team is on the road of hope. The core has been established and there are many assets. What cards will old Griffin play? Please wait and see.