New Orleans Pelicans power forward Zion Williamson has made a case so strong in his first 19 games of his career that he’s challenging Ja Morant — who has crafted a consistent 59-game season — for Rookie of the Year.
Williamson’s case for the esteemed award, even if he’s able to will the Pelicans to the playoffs, will be held back by the sheer number of games he missed, but he has a case as strong as (and perhaps even stronger than) Joel Embiid’s case for Rookie of the Year when he played just 31 games in his rookie season, also limited by injuries and load management.