Duke basketball: Zion Williamson to open up NBA’s resumed season
Former Duke basketball star Zion Williamson will take center stage as he and the New Orleans Pelicans will open up the NBA’s resumed season.
It’s not a secret who the NBA is pushing to be the next face of the league.
With just a handful of games played in his professional career, Zion Williamson has already captivated the country with his infectious personality, Hollywood-like smile, and incredible intensity on the court.
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Many think that one of the main reasons the NBA opted for a 22-team restart to its season was to get Williamson more national exposure and try and assist the rookie in the NBA Playoffs.
Well, those people certainly won’t be swayed on their opinion after the NBA released each team’s eight-game schedule for the restart of the season on Friday night.
Williamson and the Pelicans will take the court in the first NBA game since March 11 when the season resumes on July 30 in Orlando.
The NBA will return with a doubleheader that begins with the New Orleans Pelicans and the Utah Jazz followed by the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers.
It is a clever move by the NBA schedule makers to pin Rudy Gobert and the Utah Jazz as the first game in the league’s return after Gobert’s initial positive test for the coronavirus in March was the driving force behind the league shutting down so quickly.
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However, being the first game to bring back the NBA is not the only treat the league threw Williamson and the Pelicans as the team will only face three current playoff teams in its eight games.
The full eight-game schedule for New Orleans is as follows: Utah Jazz, Los Angles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards, San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings, and Orlando Magic.
As the Jazz and Clippers will be the toughest matchup for New Orleans on paper, the franchise will play four games, against three opponents (Memphis, Sacramento, San Antonio), in which they are battling against for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.
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New Orleans is currently three and a half games behind Memphis for the last spot in the playoffs, tied with the Portland Trail Blazers and Kings.
As the NBA gets set to resume, prepare to see a lot of Zion Williamson, which is an excellent thing for basketball fans around the country.