In One Quarter, Zion Williamson Gave Us an Exciting Glimpse into His Future

I don't feel like I would be being a responsible sports/pop culture blogger if I didn't give my first impression of the debut of Zion Williamson last night.

I, much like the rest of the NBA watching world, have been waiting with bated breath for Zion to suit up. I know that the Pelicans are going to take every precaution, dot all the i's and cross all the t's, make sure he is more than 100 percent healthy before they were going to let him play. From what Zion said, he was ready to play a month ago. But, the Pelicans have a ton invested in him, so I get why they waited so long. I wasn't thrilled about it, but I get it.

Anyway, after 44 games, the Pelicans finally trotted Zion out last night. This was must watch TV. But, for the first three quarters, it was kind of a tease. The Pelicans started him, but he only played 8 total minutes in the first half. He took 2 shots, made 1, had a few rebounds and an assist. I said to my wife at one moment, "he looks a little awkward out there". He already has a weird gait, but it seemed more pronounced every time he ran. He almost immediately got rid of the ball when it was in his possession. He didn't appear as springy as we have all become accustomed to. He had a few wild turnovers. He seemed to avoid contact. Even in the second quarter, when he looked like he was finally getting in the groove, the coaching staff would take him out to get him some rest. All of this is expected, especially when it comes to a rookie, and a rookie coming off of an injury, but still, I felt a little disappointed after the first half. Even early in the third, it felt a little bit the same. He still looked somewhat tentative. I was kind of stunned because he has never shown this side of himself. He has always seemed to be an uber confident player, and when the lights shine brightest, so does he. He has a ton of followers on all the major social media platforms, he has since he was in high school, so to see him play, dare I say scared, was wild.

Then the fourth quarter happened.

The Pelicans were down, they needed a push and I think Zion sensed the moment, and that was when he took center stage. You could just tell by the change in his gait and face that he was ready to take over. He then went on to score 17 straight points, showing off all of the skills that he has been honing since high school. He ripped down rebounds. He bounced back up for tip ins. He made precise passes to start fast breaks. He dunked. He even hit a mid range here and there, and it was glorious to watch. I, and I cannot believe I am about to write this, felt the same as when I first saw LeBron in his first game as a rookie. Now, LeBron exploded right away, and he is now the second greatest player ever, and I am not saying that Zion will reach that stature, But, I had that same feeling that I watching a once in a generation talent. I was watching a guy built like Charles Barkley, but dunking and rebounding like Shawn Kemp ad passing like Chris Paul. He was playing defense like a vet against other vets. It was like the switch flipped, and he remembered he was playing a game he loves that he happens to be exceptional at. It was lightening in a bottle. All the wear and tear and rust, or whatever you want to call it, it went away in the fourth quarter, and it was so worth the wait. I thought while he was going off, this is what we have all been waiting for. This is what we all thought he could do. This was the fun player that I have been waiting to see. I know the Pelicans didn't win, but damn it if Zion wasn't a treasure to watch. He is part of this new generation that is going to continue to make the NBA the most fun professional sport to watch. I'm so happy he is healthy, playing and looks like he is having fun doing it all. And I'm glad that he is back on a court.

The wait was long, but if he continues to do what he did last night, and gets better and better every year, it will be completely worth it. Zion is a treasure.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet. 

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