Kendrick Perkins spoke about Zion Williamson possibly playing at center for the New Orleans Pelicans. Perk is a fan of playing Williamson at center and thinks that can elevate not just his own game but the entire team’s. He added that he believes in Zion’s ability to elevate his defense.
“Well, I’ll tell you what, I actually like Zion at the five position. I think that helps the New Orleans Pelicans. And his spacing, Zion needs spacing in order to operate. And if you’re asking me: Can Zion [Williamson] be a Draymond Green defensively? I believe he can…
If you’re asking me defensively can Zion be a top 5 shot blocker in the [NBA] with that athleticism? I believe that he can. Offensively we know what he can do. Can he elevate his rebounding some more? Absolutely, and he will.”
“But when you talk about Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Brandon Ingram, [and] Dejounte Murray, that’s a lot of size and athleticism defensively around the perimeter.”
“And that’s what you need in the tough Western Conference, especially if you gotta go against the likes of Anthony Edwards, Jamal Murray, LeBron James – the list goes on. I actually like it with Zion playing the five, and I believe they can go to the Western Conference Finals.”
"If you're asking me: Can Zion [Williamson] be a Draymond Green defensively? I believe he can… Can Zion be a top 5 shot blocker in the [NBA] with that athleticism? I believe that he can… I actually like it with Zion playing the 5."
—Kendrick Perkinspic.twitter.com/lnVAicu9zd
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 1, 2024
Perkins seems to have a lot of confidence in Zion as a player and as a defender. While Williamson’s offensive abilities have never been in question, the biggest concern with him is his health. And while he is a good defender, he must improve greatly if he wants to play at the center position.
Last season, Zion averaged 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 0.7 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game. If he were to play at the center position, his rebounding and rim protection would have to improve significantly. This may be something he will have to work on in training.
Can Zion Achieve His True Potential Next Season?
Zion Williamson was one of the most hyped college prospects to ever enter the NBA. He was the consensus first-overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, with the Pelicans winning the right to draft him that year. But since then, he has rarely been available for the Pelicans.
Since joining the NBA, Zion has missed 124 of the 184 games in the four seasons he has played. This means he has missed a little over 67% of the games he was eligible to play, meaning he averages just about 27 games per season.
Williamson must address some of his health concerns so that he can improve his availability for the Pelicans. He is a superstar when healthy, but is rarely ever healthy enough to make an impact on the franchise. The roster must learn to play around Williamson in this new role as well if he does play at center.
With the acquisition of Dejounte Murray, the Pelicans are stronger in what is already a tough Western Conference. If Williamson can achieve his full potential next season, the Pelicans will become one of the Western Conference’s dark horses.
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