Williamson playing point ‘ feels natural’

For their second consecutive NBA game on Sunday, Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball was sidelined with a left hip flexor soreness.

That has given New Orleans the opportunity to use Zion Williamson, who is listed at 6- foot- 7, as essentially the point guard and initiate the offense. Williamson has handled the new duties better than could have been expected.

In Sunday’s 116- 109 win over the Cavaliers, he had 38 points, nine rebounds and four assists. That followed Williamson’s 37- point, 15- rebound and careerhigh eight- assist effort in Friday’s 101- 94 win over the 76ers.

“We want to get him more experience at that spot going forward because I think that’s where his future is in this game,” Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy said. “I really do.”

Since Williamson wasn’t the biggest player on his youth teams, his coaches focused on developing his point guard skills. The extra work on ball handling and passing were beneficial for Williamson, especially after he grew from 5foot- 9 to 6- foot- 6 between eighth and 10th grade.

And now the Pelicans are benefiting as well.

“It just feels natural to me,” Williamson said. “I’ve been playing the game since I was 4. At this point, it just feels natural. I’m still learning. But certain things just do feel natural.”

While the Pelicans started to use Williamson in the point guard role in February, Friday’s game marked a big difference.

He was their primary ball handler throughout the game against the Sixers instead of just handling the ball after getting a rebound and pushing it up or

the team going with it off off dead balls and free throws.

A lot of that had to do with Ball being out for the ninth time in the past 12 games because of a sore hip. Even with Ball expected to return this week, it appears the Pelicans will continue initiating the offense with Williamson.

“He just needs reps and more and more and we’ve increased it throughout the year giving him more and more opportunities,” Van Gundy said. “We’d like to give him more going forward. We’ll try to build some more things for him.”

Going into Monday, Williamson is averaging 26.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 61.7% from the field this season.

DAVID RICHARD/ USA TODAY SPORTS Pelicans forward Zion Williamson shoots over Cavaliers forward Dean Wade.