Zion Is Resurrecting The Post Up

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For traditional big men, this era is a Darwinian turning point: adapt or die. Some stretched their range to become floor spacers. Others specialized in the pick-and-roll. Zion has shown another, unseen possibility: a distinctly modern form of post play, drawing on speed as much as strength.

...There’s just nothing a welterweight like Denver’s Gary Harris can do in that scenario. Most teams aren’t fully considering their own defensive mismatches while still on offense; forcing an opponent into a switch or a rotation is essentially the goal, seeing as it creates a new angle for the player with the ball to exploit. Yet if Williamson is the player switching or rotating, that could leave a helpless guard to grapple with a 285-pound rhinoceros running to the front of the rim. Part of what doomed old-fashioned post play was that it became so deliberate. Defenses could see what was coming, line up their strongest defender, and position their help before the ball ever made it to the block. Zion is starting many of his post-ups as the first man down the floor, all while the defense scrambles to get in front of the ball and attend to potential shooters.

...Just nine games into his career, you can already see the underlying terror of Zion’s game. NBA coaches have tailored their defenses around his involvement and still wind up changing their approach over the course of a game. Williamson isn’t even in shape yet, and still he’ll beat defenders down the floor, and beat some of the best rebounders in the league to the ball—including on his own misses. Due to the attention Zion draws, an already elite marksman like JJ Redick can shoot 10 percent better from beyond the arc when the two share the floor. These are vital contributions for a Pelicans team vying for the playoffs, five games back of the eighth seed.

...The first wave of Zion’s impact is devastating enough. Pelicans opponents already can’t afford to switch, cross-match, or lose sight of him whenever a shot goes up. Worse is the reality check that comes at the end of a long night of scheming around the enormity of him. This week, Zion put up 31 points, nine rebounds, and five assists against the Blazers; it’s the easiest containing him will ever be.

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