The New Orleans Pelicans have placed an increased emphasis on unlocking more shooting from forward Zion Williamson.
How do the New Orleans Pelicans improve from being bottom-seven in both three-point percentage and attempts last year without adding a pure shooter? Find untapped potential from returning players.
The biggest shift so far in camp has been the emphasis on actually making Zion Williamson shoot jumpers this season. For a long time, the biggest complaint about his on-court game was that he never really progressed as a scoring threat past the rim.
Back on media day, Jamahl Mosley talked about how different his view of Williamson was when coaching him as opposed to when he was game-planning for him. The Pelicans star is hard to stop, despite everyone knowing what he is going to do. Mosley now realizes what could happen if he starts to expand his offensive bag as well.
This was one of the main focuses from the outside looking in heading into training camp, and now is clearly on top of the team's mind as well after a few days in camp.
Williamson has practiced the shots for years and can break them out from time to time in games, but the mental aspect of it has kept him from doing it consistently. He has always been an ultra-efficient player, so he has had to learn how to be ok with missing shots.
"This summer was about breaking [his previous trends] and just playing my game. Trusting my game," said Williamson back during media day. "Trusting my jumper and getting those shots up. Whether I was playing pickup, away from the team, with the team, just getting shots up and trusting it. If I miss, I miss. The next shot is going in."
If they could actually get the former first overall pick to become a consistent threat from the mid-range or beyond the arc, it would not only help his game, but everyone around him as well. New Orleans had horrific spacing last year. Teams could pack the paint, and the Pelicans couldn't retaliate. It's a key reason why his and 2025 first-round pick Derik Queen's future together is questionable.
One way that the Pelicans have been trying to force the issue with Williamson is by making him take shots before he can leave the facility after practice.
“Gotta make a minimum of 50 [threes] after every practice,” said Williamson with a laugh when speaking to the media after the first day of camp.
Williamson isn't learning on his own, though. This team seems closer than in years past, and they are all about making each other better. Trey Murphy, the best shooter on the roster, has been helping him own.
“With Z trying to expand his game, trying to shoot more, that’s something I do pretty well, so I give him pointers and just help him along the way,” said Murphy when speaking to Kalia Butler after practice.
H/T to Chris Dodson for his reporting on it on Thursday, but Williamson actually beat Murphy in a three-point shootaround. The new tips, combined with the new mindset and confidence, have clearly been making some sort of progress. Murphy doesn't miss much in practice.
Actually being able to unlock this from Williamson in games would be extremely valuable to this offense. The team is doing everything they can to make sure it happens.
