Zion Williamson had the 2nd-most points ever in a playoff debate against the Lakers, but he's struggled with injuries throughout his entire career. This detailed film breakdown & scouting report explores Zion's playoff debut, the secrets to his incredible finishing, his growth as a playmaker, and why he could be an MVP-level centerpiece moving forward.
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His soft touch after exploding towards the rim is always fascinating.
Pause.
@@briantugbo8947no no, play
@@briantugbo8947 your brain is broken.
-- Euros dominate but Gobert on the offense skill? 1 dribble post up move is his krytopnite. Giannis outside of downhill power is negligible. Zion? Brute power, lightning quick, and soft hands. So unique.
Zion is one of the best players to watch right now. Pure basketball IQ and Acrobatics. For a guy so big you'd think it wouldn't be possible
Do you just not watch other sportsv
@@alexmason5521 I mean I specifically mentioned basketball on a basketball video.
Can you imagine big baby Davis moving like this 😭😭
Giannis, Jokic (not the athlete Zion is obviously but he’s got one of the best basketball IQs in history)
He also has really amazing touch. People don't notice that. It legit reminds me of prime Lakers shaq. Zion has had this effortless soft touch since he came into the league and nobody notices bc the shots just go in. But a bunch of them wouldn't go in for any other player
Zion is extremely unique. Underrated passer, runs PnR really well and has great ball handling ability, yet is 280 lbs and can jump out the gym with elite body control. Basically Charles Barkley but with better ball handling and passing but much less rebounding. His decision making and shooting along with defense used to be a weakness in HS, and college (motor was pretty low off and on ball and sometimes showed no interest on D, but showed great flashes/instincts, and often gambled in the passing lanes or barreling in the paint). It’s amazing to see how he’s progressed, despite shooting a lot less. Running a gortat screen would be really interesting for him. Thanks Ben! ❤ I really think he should develop his right hand as well.
It might be early for that. Young Chuck was a beast in a time when your average game went to like 85 points. Also, Zion ain't proved anything yet. So typical of him to get hurt when he finally tries to level up. And that "losing 25 pounds in the season" is something Barkley didn't do until he was in Houston. Zion's got the gifts but not the mind set.
Zion really has improved, which is scary for his opponents because he was already a beast (when he played). Now that he is playing regularly he has the potential to be unguardable. Like a big man version of Luka.
His defense is still a pretty big weakness. He has like 0 lateral quickness on defense and he’s like insanely prone to getting beat off the dribble
The thing is, yes he probably should develop a right hand, but being that he is all but unguardable going to his left there's no real incentive for him to work on it. I think he needs to solidify his mid range game it will really open things up for him and the pels if he expands his offensive arsenal
I agreee with most of what you said but his defense and motor were definitely better in college, most analysts were projecting him to be a plus defender just after the draft based on his performances at Duke.
you actualize my heart mr. thinking basketball :0
Real
I think alot of people have been saying once he gets his weight and conditioning in control, and of course the caveat of staying healthy, Zion’s a top 10-15 player in the league easy. The feel for the game, the brute force mixed with finesse is unmatched. I just pray he stays healthy from here on out and has a long hall of fame type of career
top15? this dude easily top 5 when healthy and if he really stays healthy top 1
sadly when you got injured, its like seal contract with a devil. You know and get smarter to workaround your limit which makes people change their playstyle and mostly got better. Or... Its an injury that kill the Uniqueness. Its crazy
Considering he's played the most games in his young career this season, the only thing he has to prove to doubters is his overall availability. Before this season he's only logged in 104 games overall in his 3 year career. What good are his freakish gifts if he can't be on the court consistently to impact his play towards winning basketball? AD has a similar issue dealing with his injuries in previous years. But as long as he is healthy enough to make the playoffs and stay healthy for that duration, he is still a top defensive force in the paint that playoff teams have to watch out for.
@@futurehofer1564agreed
the dude's a freak. watching his giant ass move that quick and jump that high, you wouldnt be surprised he's always injured
You talking bout Moriah or Zion bro
man needs to call up wembys trainers and have them get him on a program
With a proper diet and a training regime for his joints he'd be a guarantee for future HoF
Total bummer he is hurt again. I wish him a speedy recovery.
The skill level of the NBA right now is unbelievable. This is a man who wasn’t even an all star playing at an elite level. What a time to watch!
He is a 2x All-Star though.
he is a 2x all star and 1x All NBA lol
He wasn’t getting an all star team this year after that IST game against the Lakers even if he deserved it. Completely wrecked his PR this year.
He was fat during the all star voting, he got in shape 2nd half of the season and Pelicans really didn’t have any narrative despite being a top 5 seed
MVP potential. He has added floaters and high arcing finishes to his arsenal which makes him even more unguardable
Idk why more wings and forwards don't try and add the floater. Every time I see LeBron use it I wonder why he doesn't shoot that more.
@@geordiejones5618 Mainly, it's just really difficult and is often less rewarding than other shot types. Jokic is pretty much the only one good enough to make it a truly lethal shot on its own.
Agreed and his improved passing game too? He is would be unguardable.
Luka, Embiid and Zion will battle for 2025 MVP. Assuming he gets in shape next season and stays injury-free, of course.
All he needs is a midrange and 3 and he's MJ 2.0
Anthony Davis is a transcendent rim protector. For Zion to finish over, around, and through him seemingly without issue repeatedly is almost unbelievable. He is every bit as good a slasher and finisher as Anthony Davis has been a defender for the last decade+, and he will get a bit better over the next 3-5 years. It is all about maintaining elite conditioning and continuing to play 85%+ games like he did in 2023. The live reps versus NBA defenses are going to continue unlocking and improving what could genuinely become an all-time offensive skillset.
I remember last season Zion went through Rudy Gobert easily as well. I didn't pay attention this season, though.
zion is just so powerful
Not when it comes to women
Built like a tank
@@chauvintookaknee4blm268strongest men biggest weakness
@@brown9671 he's not strong enough to stop watching corn.
@@brown9671 cope that you guys are least desired
I think all the highlight dunks really threw him in that dunker type category before he hit the league but his overall finishing package has a lot of craftiness, soft touch, and IQ than we thought. He really reminds me of Ja on a lot of these layups how he can twist his body around the big at the very last moment possible and still kiss off the glass
Watch any of the hype about Zion before he was drafted, the dunk thing was already debunked once people watched him properly at Duke. He went #1 because of his touch, all of his quickness, spin moves, euro steps etc lead to layups, not dunks.
His handle is unfreakinreal. Watch the ball. Lands right next to his foot every time. That handle will take him anywhere he wants to go. Please buddy, you got the chef, win your first MVP next year. I believe.
There are a few players that need apologies from doubters this season. Two prime examples are AD and Zion. Truly unique and powerful players
The problem with those two is it seems like they are perpetually injured.
no apology needed. the doubters were right, he was fat af and not getting in shape for like 3 years. calling that out was correct. how many years does he get to stay fat and injured before we can call him out? now he fixed it, which is good. that doesn't mean people were wrong to call him out when he was refusing to lose weight for like 3 years.
Kyrie too. Harden as well. Dudes keep working and they come out of the dark times.
Tyrese Maxey and the Thunder as well
Apologies for what? Them being healthy for a short stretch now doesnt discount their injury history. And for Zion, the conditioning issues are ppl being upset that he isnt doing his job. U dont get apologies for suddenly doing ur job when u havent been doing so previously.
Man, am i the only one that felt like Zion wasnt getting whistles he should have been? I feel like that dude was getting mauled inside and the refs decided not to see it.
It happens all the time
I've watched every Pels game this year, but know shit about basketball, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. From the pels commentary, I think one issue with Zion not getting calls is that he goes through contact with the ball contained, not exposed, and that makes fouls harder to see for the referees. Personally I mostly can't tell what is and isnt a foul, especially in live play. I can notice when players with a high shot release get hit on the arms, or if landing space isnt given. From the games I have watched this season (again, 90% pelicans games with home commentary) it seems to be confusing even for professionals
@pbpbpblt it's more about consistency. If they're calling light bumps for the lakers, fine that's how the game is being called. The problem is when only one team is getting lenient calls, the game isnt being called fairly. If the game was refereed equally, Zion would have shot probable 10 more free throws.
no matter what anyone says, every team in the league, hell, every league in the world would love to have this Man.
have him healthy tho
Zion proved the other night that he has it in him to truly be great. Hes just gotta lose more weight man, or those injuries will never stop.
This had nothing to do with weight. He's in incredible shape rn and still got injured.
@@vVPrototypeVvit had everything to do with weight and conditioning. His play style and the amount of force he exerted takes a toll on his knees and hamstring. It’s how he got injured last year. He lost 30 pounds and is still listed as 270 to 280. So it’s no telling how much he weighed in the beginning of the season. He took him most of the season to get to the condition he was in the other night. The hamstring issue has been recurring
@@vVPrototypeVvwhether the mass is muscle or fat makes no difference to your knees and ankles when you land. Force is force, and weight makes force.
Nothing to do with weight.
@@vVPrototypeVv He's still not in optimal shape to be healthy for 82+ games of basketball. For his age its fine for now because even talented young players had to learn this element before they actualized their game to a whole new level. Jokic used to be the stretch mark 5 years ago because dude came into the start of the season looking like a legit bear. Doncic for his first 3 seasons also looked a lil chunky but tried to play himself into shape. This season was far different as he came into the start of the season in much better shape. This is Zion's first season playing the most games in his career. The goal then is to be consistent, not to show he can just 'do it'.
Zion even got a three point shot this year… proud of ya boy!
we're not 2 minutes in and we're talking about how this man's HORIZONTAL jumping is so amazing again. its incredible how he finds the seems and exploits them like this. so grest to watch!
Thinking basketball and that Awful Coaching channel could definitely be coaches in the league salute for you getting on the NBA's KZhead channel Awful coaching voice\
I don’t doubt Ben’s Ball knowledge but Analysing a game from the sofa vs coaching in real time is very different.
@@WabbyJ999yeah like every nba coach could tell you the stuff these guys say, and it’s a lot easier to pour over film for hours than it is to adjust on the fly, plus you aren’t dealing w machines you’re trying to get people to do extremely complicated sets of actions in conjunction w each other. I like both guys as content creators and I guess I can’t count out their coaching ability, but coaching is just totally different than analysis.
@@protectdavidchasetaylor2144 you also dont just need to manage players, theres every chance the FO is tryna get in your business as well so you gotta be able to communicate with the GM and POBO constructively. I dont think many nba fans have a grasp on what coaching means off court
Coach Nick is him@@WabbyJ999
Steph and Embiid became MVPs after overcoming their injuries. Hoping that Zion will be able to do that too
I feel like if Zion stays focused and develops a mid range game to compliment his footwork, we could see him do something similar to what Carmelo did to him to Carmelo's son lol. I hope he truly does keep going in the right direction man.
Such good basketball videos. Thanks for another gem.
Zion is a perfect example of why how you attack the paint properly. He doesn’t just get bailed out by poor officiating he finds a way around instead of trying to run through someone.
I mean when you're a guy his size with his velvet touch and body control in the air, you are going to draw contact regardless. Crazy part is Zion can still get better at foul drawing where zebras have to give him the calls because he can finish above the rim in so many ways.
Truly unique player, his touch finishing around the rim and passing is what will take him to the next level. Thanks for a positive vid, was a bittersweet night to be a pelicans fan ❤
I love Thinking Basketball. We all do. It's the best bball analysis series in years, has now inspired tons of copycats, amazing that it was recognized by the NBA, I live for these vids. There somehow always manages to be an instance or two of double entendre in the videos, but today's...."slithering into cracks" (02:36) is probably the most egregious one yet. love you Ben
It’s a shame we won’t get Zion in a playoff series cause I was really interested to see how he would respond to that level of defense and intensity. Damn shame he scored 40 and the next highest scorer on the Pels was Trey Murphy with 12.
Maybe because the Lakers use analytics and target CJ instead of Zion. CJ is a MUCH better facilitator and 3 point shooter. The Pels win 90% of their games when CJ hits his season averages but are awful when he doesn't. The team doesn't change when Zion plays well or poorly because he can't shoot and isn't a great facilitator. Zion is tough because the Pels have a ton of good shooters, the league is going leave Zion one on one and he will get lots of points at the rim, but the Pels will still lose because Zion is a sub defender and they will lose in the 3 game.
@@user-tp4ii6hs3lCJ missed 5 wide open threes he wasn’t targeted he just didn’t have it
@@theeggreat4 Standing 5 feet behind the 3 line and taking a contested 3 isn't wide open. They rarely helped on Zion until he was in the lane. Maybe the Lakers got lazy or distracted by being up so much but the game before they had two defenders ready to defend him, and they put Lebron on him for most of the game and he stunk it up. They didn't Lebron on Zion nearly as much, and they didn't use help against him nearly as much. Get used to players having monster nights and still losing because the 3 is so much an indicator of winning that letting a guy get 40 on 2s, while you get more on 3s is the way to go. Don't let the others beat you is the way to go in 2024.
@@user-tp4ii6hs3l I wish I had time to show you how many open shots they missed. They loss that game on missed shots not lack of Zion getting them open looks.
@@user-tp4ii6hs3lthe league does not leave Zion one on one what are we talking about. I watch that man have 8-10 eyes on him every time he plays.
his layup package is crazy . look like that he always ready to fly and change ball control on his hands.
I'm not a Ben Simmons fan whatsoever, but seeing this video on Zion's game reminds me of how Ben played before he plummeted like a shooting star 🌠
Zion's play is fun to watch, but his potential is 100% going to depend on him figuring out how to stay healthy. I hope he follows the path of Derrick Rose as he matures and figures out how to reign in his athleticism just enough to stay healthy consistently
Zions my favorite player in the league right now because I love left handed players plus his layup package is unmatched
Awesome content, per usual!
I get that you need to stay updated to be relevant as a sports KZheadr, but the speed at which you pump out videoes and the quality of said videos are both staggering! I love this channel so much!
Zion is special great video 🎉
Actually weird that Zion, Ja, and RJ Barrett haven't exploded as huge Superstars as we expected they would have by now. Great players felt like they would have taken over the league by now
Zion has high bb IQ, great handle, great speed, athleticism, passing, body contortion, and touch. Once he starts working on his perimeter game, he'll be UNSTOPPABLE!!!!
We’ve been ready to see it. I think Zion sees it now. MVP potential when it comes together.
When he's not tricking in the streets, Zion is just a different animal :D *Too Big Too Strong Too Fast Too Good*
Love your channel and commentary. Would love to see top 10 players/teams at the beginning and end of each season for someone who’s getting more into basketball.
yes-Z is special and fun to watch, work is well done, ty
Injury at such an important game like this might be the wakeup call Zion needs. He's only 23 so it's easy to forget that he's got some maturing to do. NOLA definitely a team to look out for
Awesome vid
The biggest problem with Zion is he's a glass cannon. Your best ability is availability and he's always unavailable. I hope he turns it around. The talent is there.
The weight fluctuating from high 200s to low 300s is definitely a contributing factor. I think w/ another strong offseason of 100% buy-in, he'll be even healthier than he was this season, which was the best of his career so far.
That’s not his biggest problem. We gotta get better at watching film and not having lazy takes. His biggest problem is his motor without the ball and lack of rebounds
Lack of shoot
He played basically almost all games this season, how much more do you want him to do?
Nice vid
If he doesn't eat himself back into the old Zion this off-season, should be really fun to see how much better he gets next season from the start.
Even when he was heavy he was dunking on jaren Jackson jr in the first game of the season
He made so much progress this season. You could see how it felt for him to go off injured in the last few minutes
" Zion squeezing through cracks and finishing at extreme angles" 😂 I'm a child?
Either our minds are inherently dirty, or TB is doing this on purpose.😅
@TrillBill lmao, every sports show there's so many instances to. U could make an endless compilation. I'm convinced Charles Barkley does it on purpose
Fr lol But nothing is more egregious than this 💀kzhead.info6ODcd6ZalqE
@@TrePrince Fr lol But nothing is more egregious than this. 😭 kzhead.info6ODcd6ZalqE
The actualisation of holistic basketball analysis by Ben Taylor.
Finally a vid on the pels, I'm alive
The csus instrumental is back *swishes wine in glass poshly* a man of taste u are, Ben 🍷 P.S. "Pelicans for funsies" makes a slight come back too. Legitimately hope Zion figures his lower body health out tho. Really a riveting play-in game til he walks off court in frustration
One of the best slashers of all time
“Slithering into cracks, and finishing at insane angles.” 😳
its incredible how completely utterly unguardable he would be with any semblance of a jumpshot. They were leaving him alone 12 feet away from the basket and still couldn't contain him. Imagine he could hit that shot and they had to play him closer. He'd drop 30+ every game EASILY. On top of that he didn't use his right hand once! They knew exactly what he was about to do every play, completely sold out to try and stop it, and couldn.t.
that's what you call pure talent
Thanks for the Zion love
He will be the one. Zion will be the one who comes back from injuries and becomes everything he said he will be plus more. I truly have faith in Zion. Just imagine if he comes back some how this playoff season and they play the lakers AGAIN! 😮💨
With one healthy season under his belt we're seeing him expand his game with more pull ups and a couple 3's at the end there. The more he leans into those moves the more the pain will open up for him. This season was a great chance for him to become more comfortable within an offense and get more feel for the NBA (crazy to say that in year 5) and I think the sky is really the limit for him the more he's able to build chemistry with this team and compete at the highest level
I don't want to expect more from him considering his history but I love to see another star to rise. The more star players the more entertaining the game to watch.
Can't lie as a New York fan Zion and Brunson seem like a perfect offensive pairing
Considering how much time he had to be off the court. Zions progress and evolution in the league is impressive. He always had that crazy hang and athletism combined with so much mass and velocity. But he also improved alot as a free throw shooter, passer and just over all player that knows his place in the lineup. I'd say all he should do is have that crazy shooting like in his debut and that's like Shaq + shooting
Thinking basketball and that Awful Coaching channel could definitely be coaches in the league salute for you getting on the NBA's KZhead channel Awful coaching voice" You gotta ice the screen see man see ball"
Can you imagine that? Awful coaching raging, Ben Taylor being Polite
@@taptiotrevizo9415That would be hilarious man
Thanks for this comment. You've helped me discover another good bball channel.
@@gike2755 you'll definitely laugh at awful coaching videos 😂
I've died like 2,000 times at the TITLES ALONE! Dead!
Go Zion!
Pels gotta get a big that could space the floor for him with some size. Everytime they go small with nance it’s a win vs the more experienced teams .
yea JVC is kind of an L. I wish we got miles turner.
Yea Zion’s gravity isn’t being fully utilized
JV is a liability. Black hole on offense and has concrete for shoes on defense. BI and zion also need to have better chemistry since they don't mesh that well
the pelicans are great, but we're just cursed with injuries and bad luck sometimes
Sometimes ? you wanted to say always ?! 💀
@@DeMoNzGeeKs trueeeeee
Zion Williamson is basically a slippery guard with a Karl Malone build.
Even 5-10 more years of Zion would be worth a legacy.
This was an awesome breakdown he will be mvp soon
How many times was he fouled without a whistle in this video lol... worse whistle I've seen since shaq
they let people straight beat him up
You would think he’s easy to contain because of the lack of shooting but he somehow gets in the air and contorts into a layup, that boy strong.
Really hope they beat SAC and get into the playoffs. I want to see more of this Zion
They needed Cj big time since BI was clearly waning. Tough game and tough end to the season for Zion but I think he’ll bounce back just fine
It honestly has always confused me how quickly people forgot about how insanely good Zion is/was. Also Lebron had some very interesting possessions guarding Zion, I’d love to see more of that!
It's what happens when a player is injured and doesn't play much NBA discussion in general is often very reactionary and is heavy on recency bias. "What have you done lately?" in a nutshell
I love Zion
This is too tragic to watch man. We were so close to playoff Zion.
WE ARE LEAGUE ZION! not team Zion, perhaps not even LEAGUE Zion but PLANET ZION! We're rooting for you Mr. Williamson!
Love this content, cant wait for the more coming up with playoff's.
Zion is such a unique player, the only comparison I can think of is somehow a mix of Ja Morant and Giannis
imagine zion on team usa this summer
Him, Bron, KD, Steph, Embiid. Good lord brother
🔥🔥🔥
ZION USE 2 BE 1 OF MY FAVORITE PLAYERS FR💯💔💔
To me he's like if you took away D-Wade's mid range game, but gave him a couple inches and 50 lbs. The perfect combo of strength, shiftyness, and instincts. Wade lost years on his prime from injury though, so hopefully Z gets it figured out with better sports science.
Zion is a million time more enjoyable to watch than the raining threes the majority of the other players only dare to play
When you get back to your “offensive legends” series, you should really do one on Carmelo Anthony
Zions size and athleticism get all the attention, but he’s a REALLY skilled basketball player
I hope he can recover quickly from his current hamstring injury. Those are always difficult.
Zion is the next face of the nba, he is the dude replacing Steph that makes you got "WHAT DID I JUST WITNESS"
Please bring on Awful Coaching for an episode. It's my dream pairing.
He really impressed me with his confidenceand attitude in guarding lebron.
Lebron is old and basically couldn't get anything past him.
He needs to become even slimmer, we need to see high school zion
Probably top 5 finishers of all time
Bruh this man got injured right before the playoffs. As a pels fan I’m hurt 😢
Zion reminds me of a young Lebron, but with more finesse. He also remimds me of Charles Barkley; you often forget both of them are only 6'6 due to how dominant they are in the paint.
Feels like watching young Lebron with all those power moves
A high arching rolling flip shot is called a hook.
Truly a basketball you are! But is it really his playoff debut though🤔🤔
It was a play in game, that they lost, and you made this video? You guys are usually pretty good at not being hype bait.
I really hope this taste was enough for him to take his conditioning seriously. I've been giving him the Giannis comp since Duke, but he just doesn't seem to have anywhere near the drive to be that. If he came into the next season around 265, the league could be put on notice.
Power like bron and touch like jordan. Would give anything to see him play more consistently. He will only get better the more he plays.
I think, you can zone some of his jumps and challenge him in the air better if you play 5 or 6 consecutive games against him. His touch is totally amazing but his tempo at jumps is unusual and a big reason for his success, in a "true" playoff series, maybe just maybe you can time better his jumps and stop the beast.
People used to ask the question of if Zion could perform in the post season and I always found that kinda strange. Yes, he couldn’t play in any of the previous post seasons because he was injured. However, his play style isn’t the play style that would fall off in the playoffs. You think if embiid. His play style centres around a lot on getting free throws. He is kinda elegant with his play style for how big he is. However the reason embiid drops off in the playoffs is because refs don’t call as many free throws and that would then make him have to try to play from live ball play instead of dead ball like a free throw. Zion on the other hand is mainly getting to the rim, he doesn’t want the free throws since it’s easily for him to body people out of the way to get the 2points. His play style wouldn’t change in the playoffs, nor would he fail due to that play style. In a couple years when Wemby gets to the playoffs, I imagine he isn’t gonna fall short, since he inherently doesn’t seek free throws. Maybe that’ll change in the next couple seasons. But when a player plays a style that doesn’t play into refs, then their style rarely changes during the playoffs. Giannis for as many free throws he does try to get, is still very successful and gets many many points because he just runs into players and bully balls. Idk, I think it’s pretty easy to see who will and won’t fall short during playoffs because of their play style, james harden falls off because he’s a free throw seeker, and the refs in the postseason don’t give him as many, since they are more strict.
ZION MIGHT BE A TOP 5 FINISHER ALL TIME