Zion Williamson Changes NBA History in First 50 Career Games

Zion Williamson during a game
Zion Williamson Changes NBA History in First 50 Career Games

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson made a great entry into NBA history in leading his team with a great 144-113 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Williamson became the first and only player in the history of the league to average 23 points or more on 60% or better field-goal percentage in their first 50 career games.

A Huge “Bravo” by the Coach

New Orleans coach Stan Van Gundy thinks that Williamson is tough and there’s so much more he can do. The coach wants to use Williamson more and more as the primary ball-handler, and he has more confidence in this because he is a very willing passer who also finishes and scores the ball inside too.

Stan Van Gundy, New Orleans Pelicans coach
Zion Williamson Changes NBA History in First 50 Career Games

Amazing Performance on the Court

Williamson dropped 31 points to go with seven rebounds and six assists. His counterpart Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 28 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds. The performance at the FedEx Forum marked the first time the No. 1 and No. 2 picks from the same draft (2019), produced five rebounds, five assists, and 25 points one another since February 26, 1972, when Neal Walk and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar accomplished the feat, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

Zion Williamson tacked on a little more sparkle to his big night by knocking down his last 11 shots. This is the third time this season he’s hit over 10 in a row game, according to Elias Sports Bureau. He increased his league-best tally of five games before the age of 21 with 30 points or more on 75% or better from the field.

Zion Williamson during a game
Zion Williamson Changes NBA History in First 50 Career Games

Zion Williamson’s Performance

Williamson says that he feels a lot more comfortable and thinks that there is always room for improvement so he will just keep building off it. Serving as more of a ball-handler now out on the perimeter, Zion has taken on his new responsibilities seamlessly, while showing an unnatural knack for creating off the dribble. He attributed this to the time spent as a younger training as a point guard with his stepfather, Lee Anderson.

With 44 games remaining, the Pelicans need to climb up the Western Conference standings for a realistic shot at advancing to the postseason for the first time since 2018.