The new certified NBA player measurements haven’t been unveiled yet, but Zion Williamson – who was listed Tuesday at 6-foot-7, 285 pounds and simply as a "forward" – could present New Orleans with a wide range of options in terms of his usage on the floor. His rare combination of quickness, athleticism and strength may create a dilemma for an array of opposing defenders, no matter how the Pelicans designate him position-wise. After his first official practice as a pro, when the Duke University product was asked if he knows exactly what he can bring to a team on the court, the 19-year-old hesitated, saying it might depend on where he lines up.
“That’s a complicated answer, only because I don’t know where I’m going to be with certain groups,” Williamson said, referencing his position often being either small forward or power forward. “I think it’s just a matter of the lineup we have on the court and where Coach (Alvin) Gentry wants me to play.”
Minutes later, New Orleans free-agent signee JJ Redick added another potential role to Williamson’s job description: Center in small lineups.
“We have versatile players. As deep as we are, it presents some lineup opportunities, for Zion to play at the five or the four,” Redick said of Williamson at center and power forward, respectively. “We can surround him with shooting. We can go with a great defensive lineup. We have a lot of options.”
"He can do a lot of things," Jrue Holiday said of Williamson. "Rebounding, getting to the basket, getting to the free throw line, which is something we put an emphasis on. (When he attacks the basket) he's either going through you, or you're going to foul him. Most of the time you're going to foul him, because he's agile. He can really move for how big he is."
New Orleans will use training camp and preseason to determine its best lineups, a task that’s a bit more time-consuming for the Pelicans than many NBA teams, due to only having five returnees in uniform (Jrue Holiday, Frank Jackson, E’Twaun Moore, Jahlil Okafor and Kenrich Williams, while re-signed forward Darius Miller is sidelined by an Achilles injury).
In addition, of the 19 players on the hardwood during training camp this week, seven have never played an official minute in the NBA. For Williamson, his initial experience at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center was something to cherish.
“It was a big moment,” the No. 1 overall draft pick said. “My first practice. I never thought I’d be here (in the NBA).”
New Orleans seemed to spend the most time at Tuesday’s practice emphasizing playing at a fast pace – the Pelicans were the NBA’s second-fastest team in 2018-19 – and focusing on defensive schemes, the latter led by new assistant coach Jeff Bzdelik.
“Run,” Williamson said of one simple message to players. “If you get the rebound, push it.
“The best defensive teams are usually deep in the playoffs, and that’s our goal, to be deep in the playoffs. We’re working on defense.”
Asked if there was a singular moment to remember from Day 1 for him in the NBA – for example, did he throw down any windmill dunks? – Williamson declined to pick only one, smiled and noted, “All the moments are cool, because this was my first practice.”