Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor is joined by NBA contributor Tom Haberstroh to discuss the former number one overall pick’s comments about his three-point shooting and why the recent lineup changes in New Orleans could signal some potential moves on the horizon. Check out the full conversation on “The Kevin O’Connor Show” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
View more
Advertisement
Video Transcript
Last thing here before our Western Conference standings, a little Pelicans look here, because Zion Williamson, he had a quote that kind of went a little viral, this week where he said- you know, he was asked about not shooting threes, and he said, “I’m stuck in my own mental.
I hate when I miss shots.
I don’t want my team to feel like I wasted a possession.”
When I interviewed Zion, I think it was the ’21, ’22 season, it was at UCLA.
the Pelicans were in town.
I think they faced the Clippers and the Lakers, and it was an off day, and I talked to Zion about that, and he, and he said basically, like, almost verbatim, the same thing.
Advertisement
Like, almost the same exact words that he said now, and I’m like, “That was five years ago that he was still in this!”
I, I don’t think that’s changing anytime I, it just feels like the maturity level, the approach to the game.
I know there’s one side of people talking about this that say, “Oh, this is a good thing.
He has self-awareness.
He knows he sucks as a shooter.
He has self-awareness.”
But I don’t I, I think it’s partially that, but I also think it’s that a lack of growth a- as a player and as a, as a person, and that’s where I’m like, “Damn!
He said the same thing to me five years ago almost at this time.”
Advertisement
And so I, I, I think he’s got enough touch as a player to at least be a, a solid spot-up three-point shooter, Tom.
A- and he, and he hit his one against the Warriors, his first one in a long time, and I, I just hope he starts taking more of them, ’cause talk about a, a player if he adds a three, a reliable three, talk about opening up the floor for him even more.
So I, I’m I hope, I hope that, like, this is a moment where he’s like, “Okay, yeah, I’ll, I’ll just do it,” and I hope he’s em- empowered to do it because that Pelicans team needs the boost, man.
They need the boost in any way they can find it.
Advertisement
It has to come internally at this point, so fingers crossed, man, that Zion starts shooting threes and, and taking a leap in his game.
Man, can you imagine at the If he had a three-point shot, how hard those closeouts would be if you’re defending Zion Williamson?
Oh, my God!
It’s like, if he, if he’s a three-point threat in the least way, he would get downhill so fast if he was out on the perimeter, and those, those kickouts from Derrick Queen, like, that’s one of the things that is b- mind-boggling to me is, like, they’re now starting Deandre Jordan at the five, and- Oh, it’s disgusting the Derrick Queen, Zion Williamson thing, it’s just like, it hasn’t worked.
Advertisement
It’s an awkward fit, and I think part of it is because he’s afraid to shoot threes in space, and so it’s just, can you have two of those guys and defensively try to make that work?
And so I, I don’t know what the future holds for Derrick Queen and Zion Williamson together in New Orleans.