NBA – After establishing his record for games played in the regular season, Zion Williamson plays a “play-in” to try to discover his first playoffs.
Five years since Zion Williamson is in the NBA, and he still hasn’t played a single playoff game. To get a taste of it, he and the Pelicans have two possibilities: beat the Lakers tonight and then challenge the Nuggets in the first round; in case of defeat, beat the winner of the Kings – Warriors match to face the Thunder in the first round. Zion Williamson therefore has two chances to play his first playoffs, and for the moment, it will be a “play-in”.
“We are all extremely proud that Z has this opportunity and that our team has this opportunity” reacted Willie Green. “He tore himself up, and this first experience is a major step for him. »
A change on and off the field
The good news is that Zion has returned to the level of his sophomore year when he was an All-Star. It was 2021, and he had averaged 27 points and 7.2 rebounds in 61 games. This season, no creaky knee, or broken foot, and the Pelicans power forward was able to play 70 matches! “I wasn’t where I needed to be”he admitted a few days ago. “I worked my way through my days to get where I needed to be. Over time, my coaches and my teammates saw me and trusted me, and they continue to trust me. »
Confidence was the key to moving forward, and forgetting a questionable lifestyle of drinking sodas and eating sweets. Last summer, Williamson promised to be careful, and his leaders were right to trust him. “I have seen Z progress significantly on and off the field. His ability to continue to work on his physical condition, to withstand the efforts, to work on his game, his ability to read the game throughout the game, to see what the teams offer him…”
lists his coach. “Sometimes they lock the racket, and he drops the ball. He is an excellent passer. »
A revenge to take on LeBron
Recently, we also talked about his progress in defense, and Willie Green also highlights them. “He took another step forward this year defensively. His defense on the ball, his positioning, his rebounds… It’s clear that he has progressed a lot. »
Sunday, against the Lakers, Williamson also showed his limits. “ Passive » in his words, he was eaten by LeBron James on both ends of the court. But he has the opportunity to take revenge tonight. “He feels the game well. He senses when he needs to be aggressive or when he needs to make the connection more…” concluded Green. “Zion is very good at doing a mix of the two. We need to come back to that”.
2024-04-16 17:00:28
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