After missing the first 44 games of his rookie campaign, Zion Williamson debuted for the New Orleans Pelicans with 22 points (8/11 FG, 4/4 3PT, 2/4 FT, including 17 pts in 4Q), seven rebounds, three assists and five turnovers in 18 minutes of action in the their 117-121 loss over the San Antonio Spurs at Smoothie King Center on Wednesday night.
Former Pelicans’ Anthony Davis empathizes with what Zion Williamson is going through as a top pick:
“I think he kind of feels it. I for sure felt it. I just feel like if you’re the first pick, it’s like you have to win Rookie of the Year. I didn’t, Dame (Lillard) did, but there’s some type of pressure where you feel like you have to.
He doesn’t now because he hasn’t played in a lot of games, but you still want to go out there and perform. Obviously, the city of New Orleans has been waiting for him to play for a long time. So it’s good that the city is behind him, the team is behind him. I’m pretty sure the players are also behind him. So it’s going to be fun. It will be fun to watch him and kind of just see him grow,” Davis said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
