Nine NBA games is an extremely small sample size to lean on when gushing about a rookie sensation.
But not every rookie sensation is Zion Williamson.
And in the first nine games of his career after his debut was delayed due to knee surgery, the New Orleans Pelicans stud has already shown why he has more than a good chance of becoming a star in this league. No guarantees, of course, but the future is bright.
So with the All-Star break upon us, let’s look back on the first few games he’s played and the incredible things he’s doing as a first-year player.
1. His shot chart is wild
We saw this in the preseason and we’re seeing it now:
2. He’s doing things only two other rookies have done
3. He’s doing things only two other rookies have done, Part II
4. Zion is doing off-the-wall stuff in limited time
5. His Rookie of the Year odds were low while he was injured
This doesn’t have a ton to do with him, but it sort of does. ESPN’s Zion odds tracker tells us Ja Morant was minus-1000 in January and Williamson was plus-1600. Now? Per BetMGM, the gap has closed. Morant is minus-500 to win ROY and Williamson is just plus-400.
