@@New Orleans Pelicans

Off topic from last nights game, but this whole thread is a mess.

  • March 27, 2024


Won’t let me cross post but just go to r/NBATalk to find it.

The general consensus seems to be Zion anywhere from 3-5. 3 is fair imo. I do not understand how 1/3+ of the comments are justifying Zion under Banchero and Cade. They’re both good in their own right but let’s be serious.

The main arguments seem to be health and stats. Health is valid, but Zion has been exceptionally healthy this year. Stats wise… Zion has not been the 1st option for scoring up until these last few weeks were he’s averaging 28 a game. Banchero and Cade get the luxury of being the only true number 1 on their teams, while Zion willingly shares with CJ and BI. Idk, to me, if you watch their teams play Zions the clear number 3 and I’d even argue 2 because Wemby has such a small sample size. 4-5 is disrespectful.

And yeah I know NBA subs are full of brainrot and it’s not worth the time to argue with them. That being said, I don’t care if they’re stupid I’m gonna call them stupid.

10 comments

  1. Also I’m interested to hear what y’all think as pelicans fans. Like I said, for me he falls somewhere in the 2-3 range, but lmk what the rest of Pelicans fans think

  2. I don’t think you can put him above Ant. I also understand not putting him above Wemby, I think we would all move Zion for Wemby if given the chance. And I love big Z.

    Cade over Zion is a joke, and I like Zion over Banchero, but I would be willing to hear the other side of that argument. They are all great players.

  3. In terms of impact, Zion is the most impactful of all of these guys. Teams build walls for Zion. That speaks enough for me.

  4. People say Zion is a bust, when asked why, they say it’s because his numbers are down and he’s injury prone 

    He’s played in every game after the break and his numbers isn’t up because he is playing with CJ and BI. He also gets under utilized, I feel 

    Zion as a number one option is unstoppable, others just don’t want to admit it 

  5. It’s a conversation between Paolo and Zion because Zion often hasn’t been available and hasn’t added much to his game. It’s in his power to change the narrative though

  6. Wemby, Edwards, Zion, Banchero, Cade seems like the order.

    But holy shit that’s an impressive 5 year stretch of number 1 picks. Cade definitely well behind the other 4 though. I just hope all these guys stay healthy

  8. AE Wemby must be number 1 and 2.

    I would love to rate Zion higher but 1)he is injury prone 2)lack shooting 3)he is the oldest.

    Paolo is not consistent in his shooting either. But still lots of years to go to reveal his potential.

    Cade is quite underrated because Monty Williams does shit on his job but he 1)not consistent 2)injury prone. But he performs better with Duren on the court.

    So AE>=Wemby>Zion>=Paolo>Cade
    but none of them is a bust. Even Cade should at least be allstar calibre.

  9. The Cade stuff is silly, but I think the Banchero-Zion debate is a lot closer than you are making it out to be.

    Banchero in his second year is averaging 22.6/6.8/5.4 at 29.4% usage rate. He’s the #1 option and the Magic are 5th in the East at 42-29.

    Zion is in his fifth year averaging 22.7/5.8/5.1 at 29.2% usage rate. He’s the #1A option and the Pels are 5th in the West at 44-28.

    Paolo is significantly less efficient and less impactful than Zion. However, Paolo is younger, still on his rookie contract, and has boosted his 3P% from 29.8% to 36.5% this year on 4.2 3PA/g.

    The 3P shooting makes Paolo a LOT easier to build around than Zion. Paolo also played 72 games last year and 69 this year. Zion is at 61 games currently and Thurs will mark the most games he has played in his 5 season.

  10. If we’re talking about pure ability and not health considerations. Zion is by far the most impactful player out of any of these guys. 10 eyes are on Zion every time he touches the ball and Zions defense has been excellent the 2nd half of this season. Wemby has to be spoon fed the ball and can be bullied on the defensive end. Sengun made Wemby want to cry a couple weeks ago. Ant is good but his shot is inconsistent. Zion is literally a top 10 all time pure athlete with a strong case for number 1

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