Every NBA defense knows where Zion Williamson wants to go with the basketball. Opponents have spent years crowding the paint, building walls around the rim and daring the New Orleans Pelicans to beat them from anywhere else. According to early reports from training camp, Jamahl Mosley believes the solution is not to reinvent the two-time All-Star's offensive game but to give him enough counters to make those strategies increasingly difficult to execute.
That means expanding the 26-year-old's comfort zone beyond the restricted area without sacrificing the explosiveness that makes him one of basketball's most difficult players to contain. Mosley's emphasis on midrange shooting is about more than individual development. It is a calculated attempt to create cleaner driving lanes, punish sagging defenders, and generate better perimeter opportunities for Trey Murphy III.
“I think what it is about is taking what the game gives you. And then we stop practice, we look through practice at situations where the teams are loading up on him and then giving him the answers to that test because he is so dynamic, he’s so athletic, and he can get to the lane pretty much any time he wants,” Mosley told ClutchPoints. “Our ability to sell, read what the game is giving you, now you got to come off of it, or if they’re backing all the way up, you got to feel comfortable, which we absolutely do feel comfortable taking that mid-range and being confident in it.”
Defenders have traditionally been comfortable giving Williamson several feet of space along the perimeter, particularly when help is stationed near the elbows or along the baseline. That cushion allows opposing teams to anticipate his first step, shrink driving lanes, and rotate toward the basket before he gets downhill.
A reliable 12- to 17-foot jumper changes those calculations. Defenders who once retreated toward the restricted area would have to respect Williamson's ability to stop and score before reaching the rim. Even a modest improvement could force earlier defensive commitments, opening opportunities for Williamson to attack closeouts or find teammates when additional help arrives.
Pelicans pushing Zion Williamson
Perhaps the most encouraging development has been the work Williamson and Murphy III are putting in together after practice. The two have regularly remained on the court working through perimeter shooting drills and elements of a two-man game designed to complement their contrasting offensive strengths.
Article Continues BelowMurphy III, already an established perimeter threat, has offered shooting pointers while Williamson continues building confidence in an area that has rarely been a consistent part of his offensive repertoire. The results have produced some entertaining moments. Williamson has beaten Murphy III in at least one 3-point shooting competition and connected on a handful of long-range attempts during preseason action.
Neither development guarantees a shooting breakthrough, but both suggest Williamson is taking Mosley's mandate seriously. And the challenge is as much mental as mechanical. Passing up an open midrange opportunity to force another contested attempt at the rim only reinforces the defensive tendencies that have limited the team's offensive versatility. Taking the available jumper, even when it does not fall, can eventually make those same defenses reconsider their positioning.
Mosley is essentially asking Williamson to recognize that making the correct basketball decision sometimes means settling for a shot he has historically avoided. Doing so could eventually lead to more opportunities for the powerful finishes that made him a superstar in the first place.