Five games into the season, Zion Williamson has put himself atop an unlikely leaderboard.
The New Orleans Pelicans forward is averaging 3.2 steals per game, which is the best mark in the NBA so far. He swiped five in Thursday’s 132-120 win over the Sacramento Kings, falling one short of his career high of six steals, which he set in a victory over the Golden State Warriors in the 2023-’24 season. That five-steal night also came in the first game this season with defensive stopper Herb Jones in the starting lineup.
“I think he’s been tenacious,” said Pelicans’ head coach Jamahl Mosley. “I think he’s been excited about how he can play and what he can do to help this team get over the hump in some games.”
Williamson is one of only two players in the league averaging at least three steals a night through the young schedule. Atlanta Hawks guard and former Pelican Dyson Daniels is the other, sitting at exactly 3 steals per game.
The Pelicans aren’t just getting production from Williamson, either. As a team, they rank second in the NBA in steals at 13.4 per game, trailing only the Toronto Raptors, who lead the league at 14.3.
“We’re getting the steals because we’re in position,” Mosley said. “We’re not getting them because we’re gambling.
That’s the best part about it. The system is providing them the opportunity to do the things they need to do because they know where everyone is on the floor.”
In Other News...
Pelicans Just Sent A Confusing Signal On AJ Johnson
The Pelicans made a quick roster move with AJ Johnson on Friday night, recalling the young guard from the G League only hours after sending him down. It was the kind of transaction that can look routine on paper, but it also underscored how the team is still sorting out the best path for a player who remains in the early stages of his development.
Johnson has yet to appear for New Orleans this season, so every move around him carries a little more weight than it would for a more established rotation piece. For a team trying to balance immediate needs with long-term growth, the brief detour suggests the Pelicans are still evaluating how and when to use him, even if the answer is not clear just yet. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Offseason Additions Are Raising Fresh Questions About This Roster
New Orleans spent the offseason trying to deepen its rotation with three additions, but the early returns have only added to the uncertainty around how this roster will come together. Bennedict Mathurin has had a hard time finding the right fit in the system even as his shot volume has ticked up, while Trendon Watford has at least given the coaching staff something more encouraging after recently getting on the floor and drawing positive remarks from Jamahl Mosley.
AJ Johnson is the other name to watch, even if his path looks very different right now. He has been assigned to the G League and has yet to make his NBA debut for the Pelicans, and the fact that the team did not pick up his option suggests this is less about a long-term plan and more about proving he belongs somewhere in the league. [Read more 🡒]
Zion Trade Idea Forces An Uncomfortable Pelicans Conversation
A hypothetical Zion Williamson trade proposal from Bleacher Report has stirred up the kind of uncomfortable conversation the Pelicans can never quite avoid. Andy Bailey floated a deal that would send Williamson to Golden State, with the Warriors getting the offensive upside they have long coveted while New Orleans would be left weighing the value of a major roster reset against the reality of what Williamson still means to the franchise.
The appeal for the Pelicans is obvious enough: a chance to move off a massive long-term commitment and open up some financial flexibility. But any conversation around Williamson quickly circles back to the same issue, and this one is no different, because the trade idea is built around a player whose availability has always shaped the discussion as much as his talent has. It remains purely speculative, but it is the sort of proposal that forces New Orleans to confront where the line is between patience and practicality. [Read more 🡒]