si
For years, the New Orleans Pelicans have attempted to construct a team tailored to Zion Williamson's abilities. Now, they confront a new dilemma: how to deploy him effectively on a squad that isn't optimized for his skill set.
Wednesday's 123-120 season-opening defeat to the Indiana Pacers brought this issue into sharp relief. Williamson scored 22 points on 7-of-16 shooting, but his offensive engagement ebbed and flowed throughout the contest. He took just two shots in the first quarter, seven in the second, three in the third, and four in the fourth. While these numbers don't fully capture his performance, they revive a persistent question about how reliably New Orleans can feature its most potent interior scorer.
For first-year head coach Jamahl Mosley, the solution might involve redefining Williamson's role rather than continually reshaping the roster around him. The approach that once yielded promise is no longer viable. The Pelicans have already witnessed what Williamson can achieve as a focal point. In 2020-21, he averaged 27 points on 61.1% shooting and earned his first All-Star nod, leveraging a blend of power, agility, and finesse to become one of the NBA's toughest individual matchups.
Three seasons later, New Orleans adopted a more balanced strategy. Williamson averaged 22.9 points and five assists in 2023-24, playing a career-high 70 games as the Pelicans won 49. He remained a primary offensive weapon, but the roster offered more complementary pieces, especially on defense. Herb Jones, Dyson Daniels, Naji Marshall, and Larry Nance Jr. provided the versatility to support Williamson without compromising defensive resistance. That group didn't secure a playoff series victory, and Williamson's play-in injury kept him out of the postseason. Nevertheless, 49 wins demonstrated that the Pelicans could field a competitive team with him in a prominent role.
The current roster poses a different set of challenges. New Orleans has more players requiring opportunities to create offense, fewer proven perimeter defenders, and frontcourt pairings that complicate spacing. Mosley cannot simply replicate the previous formula without the personnel that made it work.
Missi Alters the Equation
Any conversation about Williamson's role must factor in the rising significance of Yves Missi. The third-year center posted 13 points, 14 rebounds, two steals, and three blocked shots in Wednesday's loss. Seven of his rebounds came on the offensive glass, generating second chances for a team that often struggles to produce efficient offense. Those extra possessions are crucial when missed shots are a recurring issue.
Missi's defensive contributions are equally vital. New Orleans had difficulty containing dribble penetration against Indiana, repeatedly exposing its interior defense. With limited options at center, the Pelicans rely on Missi's ability to contest shots, rebound, and anchor the paint. Mosley has challenged him to enter the Defensive Player of the Year conversation, underscoring the responsibility the coaching staff expects him to shoulder. Missi isn't a temporary fix or a player whose minutes should be reduced solely to accommodate Williamson—he's an essential component of what New Orleans needs to function. That makes identifying the right combination around both players critical.
The Numbers Offer Some Encouragement
On paper, Williamson and Missi present legitimate spacing concerns. Neither is a conventional perimeter threat, and both are most effective near the basket. However, Wednesday's lineup data suggests they can coexist offensively under the right circumstances. According to NBA Advanced Lineups data, the Pelicans posted a 118.3 offensive rating in the 27 minutes Williamson and Missi shared the floor. Their defensive rating was a disastrous 130.5, but the offense wasn't the primary concern.
A five-man unit featuring Dejounte Murray, Williamson, Saddiq Bey, Trey Murphy III, and Missi performed well, producing a 143.8 offensive rating and a plus-37.9 net rating in eight minutes. The additional perimeter shooting from Bey and Murphy created a more favorable offensive arrangement, giving Williamson room to attack while Missi remained available to finish plays and pursue rebounds. Eight minutes is hardly definitive evidence, but the results challenge the notion that the two big men are inherently incompatible.
The Pelicans also struggled in several combinations involving Jeremiah Fears. His pairing with Williamson yielded a minus-37.5 net rating in 18 minutes, highlighting the need to examine how surrounding personnel affect each lineup. The issue isn't simply whether Williamson and Missi can play together; it's whether Mosley can consistently surround them with the right players.
Is a Reserve Role Worth Considering?
One possibility Mosley shouldn't dismiss is bringing Williamson off the bench. That wouldn't necessarily mean reducing his minutes or removing him from closing lineups. It could give New Orleans more flexibility to feature him as the primary offensive option in staggered rotations. Williamson has shown he can produce in that role. In seven appearances off the bench last season, he averaged 21.1 points, six rebounds, and 2.7 assists on 58.6% shooting in just around 25 minutes per game. Those numbers don't prove that New Orleans would be better with Williamson as a reserve, but they demonstrate that he can be highly productive without starting.
Mosley could stagger Williamson's minutes with Murray, surround him with additional shooting, and create more possessions designed around his ability to attack the paint. A reserve role would require separating Williamson from Missi altogether. Their minutes together could remain substantial, primarily when the Pelicans have enough shooting on the floor to support them. The objective would be to maximize Williamson's impact while preserving the rebounding and rim protection New Orleans needs from its starting center.
The Challenge Ahead
There are limits to what Mosley can accomplish through lineup changes. The Pelicans aren't one substitution away from becoming a good team. Their shortcomings in perimeter defense, shooting, and roster balance will ultimately require personnel changes. But Williamson remains their most distinctive offensive talent, and New Orleans can't afford to let that advantage disappear for long stretches. His 22 points against Indiana were respectable. His three rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes, however, underscored the importance of maximizing his scoring when his contributions elsewhere are limited.
Missi, meanwhile, provides essential production in areas where the Pelicans have few alternatives. That creates a different kind of challenge than New Orleans faced when it was building around Williamson several years ago. Mosley must decide which combinations allow Williamson to attack consistently without compromising the defense, rebounding, or spacing around him. That could mean changing his starting partners, staggering his minutes more aggressively, or experimenting with a reserve role. The Pelicans have already seen what Williamson can accomplish with the right supporting cast. They don't have that roster anymore. Now they have to find a way to maximize Williamson without compromising the players they can least afford to take off the floor.