Analyst pins Zion Williamson as NBA’s “Mike Tyson” in bold playoff prediction
Associated PressESPN’s Jay Williams compared New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson to Mike Tyson when assessing his chances of leading the team to a deep postseason run.
Williams was asked how far Williamson can take the Pelicans in the 2024 NBA Playoffs on Friday’s episode of “First Take,” and gave the 23-year-old high praise.
“I think Zion can take them to the Western Conference Finals. I often give him, he’s like Mike Tyson fighting in the phone booth. That’s the way he carves up your body, Perk,” Williams said of the 284-pound forward’s dominant physical play.
“But the one thing I see from him, Perk, is after all the stuff that’s happened this year, about the inaugural In-Season Tournament, about all the jokes about his weight. Whenever you talk to anybody in that organization, he’s doing what he has to do. It feels like he’s falling back in love with the game from a work perspective. And to me, that’s ‘scary hours Zion.’ That’s a team that can go far.”
Williamson is one of the most physically imposing players in the league. The Duke product is the fourth-heaviest player at only 6-foot-6. He bullies opponents with 17.5 points in the paint per game, ranking No. 2 behind only Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
His aggression warrants likeness to Tyson, the ferocious knockout artist and youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history. The million dollar question is whether Williamson can elevate the Pelicans to a Western Conference Finals win in his fifth year.
New Orleans currently owns a 45-28 record as the No. 5 seed in the West. While Williamson has positioned the Pelicans for potential home-court advantage in the first round, their regular season series records suggest that he may have more legwork to do this spring to best elite competition in best of seven series.
The Pelicans have lost their season series’ against the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder, two teams they’d likely have to get past to reach the Finals. A 3-1 series win over the Los Angeles Clippers is their best calling card at the moment.
There’s no doubt that Williamson can knock out, or knock down anyone in his path to the rim. His 11 30-point games this season also proves that he can score as well as make plays up against any other All-Star.
His path to the Finals may be a bit more arduous, but with the way he’s playing, the Pelicans are viable threats to reach the WCF as Williams boldly predicted.
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