When the Western Conference coaches voted earlier this week to make Zion Williamson the fourth-youngest player in NBA history to play in an All-Star Game, they were confirming something that's been obvious over the past month: The No. 1 pick of the 2019 draft is making the leap to stardom.
After a rookie season hindered by injury and conditioning issues and a slow start to the 2020-21 campaign under new head coach Stan Van Gundy, Zion is figuring out how to translate his prodigious talents into impact for the New Orleans Pelicans. And Van Gundy's move to put the ball in Williamson's hands more frequently as a playmaker has unlocked new facets of his game.
Given Williamson is still just 20 and has played fewer career games than any first-time All-Star since Blake Griffin was the most recent rookie to play in the game in 2011, the question remains: How good can Zion get?