Zion Williamson is, reportedly, in a “good space physically and mentally” prior to entering the NBA restart on July 31.
The calm before the brewing storm of the NBA restart is between now and July 31. As the first game of the restored NBA kicks in, the action within the league will blow by like a whirlwind.
All eyes are set on the bottom teams in the Western Conference. All teams are within striking distance for the eighth spot and it is a position for the Memphis Grizzlies to lose. In fact, the Pelicans are only 3.5 games behind them, and Zion Williamson is hungry for his first Playoffs game.
Zion Williamson will ‘shock some people’
According to a source close to the Pelicans, Zion Williamson will be a surprise in the NBA restart. Zion was just heating up prior to the nationwide lockdown in the United States. In just 19 games, he averaged 23.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 29.7 minutes of playing time.
In fact, these numbers could actually have been higher if his limited playing was lifted earlier. Zion’s playing style could only be compared to a young Lebron James and it manifested in the limited games he has played so far. He said,
“It sucks because I had just come back after sitting three, four months without playing basketball or playing in an NBA game. 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.”
Pelicans’ executive vice-president David Griffin added,
“Zion has been diligent about taking care of himself. He’s in a good space physically and mentally.”
Battle of the young versus experienced
The top seven teams in the Western Conference will only play for seeding positions. However, with the current plan on the NBA restart, seeding will not matter much because there will be no true home-court advantage.
As such, the action will be on the bottom teams in the West. The battle will be a tale of experience versus youth. The teams that will fight for the eighth spot are the Pelicans, Trailblazers, Spurs, Suns, and Kings.
Both the Trailblazers and the Spurs have seasoned leaders in Damian Lillard and DeMar DeRozan respectively. Both of these all-stars have Playoffs pedigrees that none of the young stars in the other three teams have.
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