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New Orleans has next star to replace departing Davis
NEW YORK — The Pelicans selected Zion Williamson with the No. 1 pick Thursday night, going with the former Duke star who is considered one of the most exciting prospects in years.
The 6-foot-7, 285-pounder compiled a career worth of highlights into just one season for the Blue Devils, becoming the third freshman to be voted player of the year by The Associated Press.
His assault on the rims made him a favorite of college basketball fans, but his game is more than just dunks. Williamson averaged 22.6 points and 8.9 rebounds while shooting 68% from the field.
Wearing a white suit, he hugged members of his family and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after his name was called first at Barclays Center.
Williamson will step into an open position in New Orleans, which recently agreed to trade All-Star Anthony Davis, the last freshman to win the AP award, to the Lakers.
The Grizzlies also quickly addressed a positional need by taking Murray State’s Ja Morant with the No. 2 pick. The Grizzlies agreed to trade Mike Conley, their longtime point guard, to the Jazz a day earlier.
They got a good replacement in Morant, who led Division I with 10 assists per game as a sophomore while averaging 24.5 points.
RJ Barrett then made it two Duke freshmen within the top three picks when the Knicks took the guard who actually edged out Williamson to lead the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring. Knicks fans hoped they would get Williamson after finishing with the worst record in the league but seemed happy to end up with Barrett, loudly cheering and chanting “RJ! RJ!” when the pick was announced.
But the central story of the night was the beginning of the Williamson era in New Orleans.
Based on the celebrating crowd jammed into a downtown promenade, it appeared Pelicans fans couldn’t have been happier to move on from Davis — who requested a trade last January — and welcome their newest hope to transform the team from a languishing small market franchise into an NBA contender.
While Williamson has yet to exhibit consistent outside shooting, he has displayed a dominant mix of power, quickness and skill that has convinced scouts of his extraordinary promise as a pro.
He also was voted to the ACC’s AllDefensive Team after averaging 2.12 steals and 1.8 blocked shots per game. He leaves Duke as the holder of several freshman records, including singlegame scoring after his 35-point outburst against Syracuse in January.
The Pelicans moved on from the Davis era last weekend when they agreed to a trade sending “the Unibrow” to the Lakers in exchange for point guard Lonzo Ball, forward Brandon Ingram, shooting guard Josh Hart and three first-round picks, including this year’s fourth overall choice.
However, a person familiar with situation said shortly before the draft that the Hawks acquired the No. 4 pick from the Pelicans in exchange for the No. 8, No. 17 and No. 35 overall picks, along with a protected first-round pick from Cleveland in 2020 that Atlanta had.