Zion Williamson talks late-game defense, rebounding | Pelicans vs. Trail Blazers Postgame 3/16/24

Zion Williamson talks late-game defense, rebounding | Pelicans vs. Trail Blazers Postgame 3/16/24

Uh y’all shut the door on them late third quarter early fourth quarter just what changed in that time for y’all to put that one away uh kind of piggyback off what CJ said just uh our defensive communication uh we had to sharpen up some things that we weren’t really doing

In the first half and but once we sharpen those things up uh we were good yeah I mean athletically I mean it you know looks like you’ve really made a ton of steps in the in the past few months just what do you think has allowed you

To get to this place where you are now um just stacking my days um trying not to do everything at once just taking it day by day and just overtime just seeing the results yeah I mean is it is it just about like consistency like that’s that’s kind of

The main thing yeah yeah just staying consistent with extra work and extra condition and for you just how much does the game change when you’re grabbing you know 8 nine 10 12 boards does it does the game kind of feel different from you when you’re you know making that kind of

Impact on the especially the defensive glass uh absolutely cuz then I don’t I don’t even have to look for an outlet it’s uh I just get the rebound and pushing in transition and then uh just with Trey shooting the ball the way he has lately how much has that kind of

Affected the offense and especially for you just giving you additional space and out there um it’s been good to see Trey shoot the ball like that um cuz his confidence is there um Trey can go over eight over 10 for all I care but as long as he’s shooting it with confidence uh

I’m good so just to see murf really having his confidence bag is all I really care about and y’all didn’t have that complete group tonight but one of the lineups Will’s been going to a lot is you with the four bench guys Trey Jose Naji and Larry uh what are you

Seeing out there when y’all five are out there together that’s allowing y to kind of take off on team I’m our Pace uh I’m mindset with that group is yo get stops and run and if they score don’t dwell on it just inbound the ball and push it up

The court and z in the middle of November you told us you were going to take a backseat can you articulate just how different things are now what kind of head space you’re in physically mentally everything um I wasn’t where I needed to be um I

Talked to CJ and I talked to be about at the beginning of the season and you know uh CJ definitely stepped up um I don’t think he gets enough credit for that especially early in the season CJ really stepped up for this team um be is be

Like I don’t even got to talk about how great bi is um but CJ really stepped up for this team early in the season and even halfway just being a leader and just having a huge impact on the game uh while I was stacking my days and getting

To where I needed to be and like I said over time my coaches and my teammates they saw it and they they trusted me and and they’re continuously trusting me so I’m I got to give CJ’s respect on that NBI he kind of looking ahead a little

Bit uh this team’s played pretty well on the road like what do you kind of attribute that success to success to on the road um I said in a press conference um we just it’s our personalities that we have on this team uh when we’re on the road uh something about going on

Somebody else’s Turf and getting the win just like we we thrive for that um I know last year we didn’t do too well on the road so this year for us to be doing as good as we are on the road uh it’s definitely a step in the right

Direction you guys have a great night

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson speaks to the media following the team’s win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, March 16, 2024.

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New Orleans Pelicans Roster
———————————————–
Jose Alvarado #15 Guard
Dyson Daniels #11 Guard
Jordan Hawkins #24 Guard
Brandon Ingram #14 Forward
Herbert Jones #5 Forward
E.J. Liddell #32 Forward
Naji Marshall #8 Forward
CJ McCollum #3 Guard
Trey Murphy III #25 Guard
Larry Nance Jr. #22 Forward
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl #50 Forward
Matt Ryan #37 Forward
Dereon Seabron #0 Guard
Jonas Valanciunas #17 Center
Zion Williamson #1 Forward
Cody Zeller #44 Forward-Center

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