These three things could help Zion Williamson earn a contract extension from the New Orleans Pelicans.
The New Orleans Pelicans have long tried to build around Zion Williamson, but are running out of time to call it worthwhile. He has two years remaining under contract, but this could be his final chance to stick around with the Pelicans.
New boss Joe Dumars said throughout his first year that they would listen to offers, but they wanted to see how Williamson performed for himself before giving up on him. That's exactly what they did.
Last season was probably the best overall in Williamson's career. There were years when he scored more and one when he played more games, but it was the one where it actually felt like he could be a sustainable contributor.
Reports came out yesterday that the forward won't be getting an extension this offseason. That means that he needs to put on this year to avoid the team, as their real decision on him could happen next offseason.
If Williamson wants to make it work in New Orleans, here are some things he could do:
Stay Healthy This Year
Williamson made great strides last year. He played in 62 games, which is the second most in his career. He played in 35 straight after coming back from an injury, which is a career-best. These are things that the Pelicans have wanted to see for years. Sometimes injuries can just be bad luck, but it's clear that Williamson wasn't putting in the work he needed to off the court.
That has changed in recent years as he has matured, though. The franchise has spoken highly of his turnaround. He cannot afford to ever be that slack again. If this is another year of injury after injury, the decision will not be one that he likes.
Expand Offensive Bag
That fact that Williamson is still a one-level scorer entering his eighth year in the NBA is unfortunate. Not everyone has a deep bag, but Williamson clearly has the capacity to score in more ways than he employs during games. The forward practices the shots, and can sometimes let one go in a game, but he's never been able to fully add a mid-range or three-point shot to his repertoire.
Make His Pairing With Derik Queen Work
One of the main reasons why Williamson needs to expand his range, is that he needs to show that he can fit next to Queen in the long run. There are a lot of doubts about their fit next to each other, and the results last year were poor. Neither player shoots well, which makes things harder on everyone.
Queen is part of the future, along with Jeremiah Fears, and the team will be building around them. It won't make sense to pay Williamson more money if he is detracting from the game plan.
