New Orleans Pelicans Take Over #1 Seed in Western Conference

Power forwards Zion Williamson is now in contention for the NBA MVP after the surging New siege of Orleans Pelicans seized the upper side distinguish inward the horse opera Conference thanks to a seven-game winning streak.

The Beehive State Jazz halted the Pelicans’ winning streak on Tues night, but the Pelicans ease remain inwards first of all put in the horse opera Conference with an 18-9 record.

The Pelicans are +900 odds to win the horse opera Conference and secure a bunk inwards the 2023 NBA Finals. The Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies are fastened for the topper enter in the West, yet the Pelicans are the sixth-highest squad on DraftKings’ group discussion futures board.

After their recent winning streak, the Pelicans saw their 2022-23 NBA title odds bump to +1800. During the preseason, the Pelicans had small title odds at +2200.

Bettors were retiring to endorse the Pelicans inward the preseason because they were wary nearly Williamson’s health. He missed all of finally flavour with a fractured foot. Inspired past a sound Williamson, the Pelicans emerged as the topper team in the NBA that’s not named the Hub of the Universe Celtics.

Never Mind the Grizzlies, Here Come the Pelicans

The Grizzlies and Pelicans both part an 18-9 record, but the Pelicans are inward number one set in the southwestern United States Division due to a tiebreaker.

The Grizzlies entered this flavor at +105 betting odds to win Southwest inwards back-to-back seasons, while the Pelicans were tertiary on DraftKings’ NBA futures board at +400 odds. Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks were sandwiched in 'tween the Pelicans and Grizzlies at +140 odds.

According to a recent update by DraftKings, the Grizzlies are noneffervescent the favourite to win the air division at +105 odds. The Pelicans saw their divisional odds improve to +115, spell the Mavs slipped to +600.

The Mavs struggled inward the first off canton of the harden adjusting to the red of power point ward Jalen Brunson, who bolted to the New York Knicks inwards discharge agency. The Mavs feature a 14-12 register and sit down inwards tertiary come out in the division.

The San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets are fastened for endure set in the Southwest Division with 9-18 records. Neither team has emphasized winning games this season because their executives believe winning the draught lottery will turning around their moribund franchises. Oddsmakers are aware both teams are more interested in securing the order of payment rights to French people teenage esthesis Victor Wembanyama, which is wherefore their Southwest Division betting odds are an astronomical +80000.

Pelicans Have No Ceiling with a Healthy Zion

Williamson’s long-term health testament regulate the Pelicans’ success this season. If he avoids injuries, especially inward the postseason, the Pelicans could contend for the horse opera Conference crown.

The Pelicans selected Williamson out of Duke with the #1 pluck inwards the 2019 NBA Draft. Williamson was clear the topper participant inwards the NCAA during his one-and-done season with Duke in 2018-19. He looked similar a man-child during his luxuriously shoal years in South Carolina, where his gravity-defying dunks made him an overnight viral sense impression inwards the social media era.

Williamson has been a star since he was a teenager, but injuries stunted his growing as a pro. He suffered a knee accidental injury during the 2019 NBA Summer League, which delayed his pro debut by a span of months. In just now 24 games as a rookie, Williamson demonstrated flashes of excellence. As soon as he got rolling, the pandemic unopen down the steady harden in Mar 2020.

In his second flavor with the Pelicans in 2020-21, Williamson appeared in 61 games averaging a career-high 27 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. A fractured thumb prematurely ended his season.

In the summertime of 2021, Williamson fractured his invertebrate foot during an offseason workout, which required surgery. He missed the intact 2021-22 time of year often to the letdown of fans. Multiple setbacks inward his rehab delayed his issue to the team.

Americans sexual love a salutary comeback story, which is wherefore Williamson’s proceeds to the Pelicans this harden has drawn important attention among fans crosswise the league.

Zion’s MVP Odds Boost

In 22 games this season, Williamson leads the Pelicans in scoring past averaging 25.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He boasts a 61% line of business goal percentage. Poor free-throw shooting was his biggest liability as a pro, but he’s shot a career-best 71.5% from the charity bar this season. His 3-point shooter allay needs improvement at 31.3%.

Basketball nerds adore advanced stats. Williamson hasn’t disappointed the math geeks with a 26.95 PER rating, which is ranked #7 inwards the NBA.

In recent consecutive victories against the Phoenix Suns, Williamson henpecked both games. He dropped 35 points in both ends of the back-to-back inward New Orleans, which included a 129-124 extra time victory on Sunday.

Zion is a matchup problem,” said Pelicans lead private instructor Willie Green. “He just now attacks. And when he attacks ilk he does, he’s just tough to cover. It’s unbelievable what he can buoy do.”

Both wins were retaliate motivated by the blossoming rivalry between the Pelicans and Suns. The top-ranked Suns knocked the Pelicans out of the 1st fill out of the playoffs utmost season. Williamson watched that disappointing liquidation inward street clothes on the Pelicans’ bench while still recovering from a fractured foot.

“The Suns, they’ve earned their resume,” said Williamson. “They’re a great team. So, for us to catch 2 back-to-back wins against them, that’s openhanded for our confidence.”

Williamson has been on flaming inwards December, averaging 30.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.3 assists per game.

A distich of weeks ago, Williamson wasn’t still inward the top out 15 on DraftKings’ NBA Awards plank for MVP betting. However, oddsmakers took remark of Williamson’s child's play during the Pels’ recent winning streak. He saw his NBA MVP odds drastically improve to +2200.

He’s at present 6th boilersuit behind Jayson Art Tatum (+220), Giannis Antetokounmpo (+300), Luka Doncic (+320), Book of Joel Embiid (+1000), and Steph Curry (+1100).

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