Zion Williamson Threw Down A Ferocious Dunk Early In His Pelicans Preseason Debut

NBA preseason is still in its (very) early stages but the New Orleans Pelicans took the floor for the first time on Monday evening in a game with more hype than one would normally associate with an exhibition. Part of that was a fun opponent in the young Atlanta Hawks but, for the most part, it was the highly anticipated debut of Zion Williamson.

Williamson famously played just a few minutes at the Las Vegas Summer League in July but, more than two months later, the No. 1 pick didn’t waste any time making an impact. Within the first 90 seconds, he delivered a three-point play, but that was just the appetizer to his first highlight-reel dunk.

Very few people move the way Williamson does, combining freakish power with off-the-charts explosion. That was on full display here and, well, Hawks center Damian Jones simply had no chance to get there.

To prove it wasn’t a one-time thing (as if there was any doubt), Williamson followed it up with another dunk just a few minutes later, making it look easy — and showing off how fun the partnership between he and Lonzo Ball could be in transition.

There will be countless highlights for Williamson during his first NBA season but, in his first action, he lived up to the considerable billing from an entertainment standpoint.