Zion Williamson is on a tear not seen since prime Shaq

Pelicans star forward Zion Williams is on a run of dominance comparable only to Shaquille O’Neal’s best from 20 years ago.

Zion Williamson is an absolute beast. An efficient one at that.

The New Orleans Pelicans forward is now earning comparisons to Shaquille O’Neal after an impressive 20-game stretch.

The sophomore star reached that benchmark on Sunday with an outstanding performance in a win over the Nuggets. He put up 30 points on 9-of-13 shooting.

Zion Williamson is taking over in his second season with the Pelicans

Williamson hasn’t scored less than 20 points since Feb. 5. In the last two months, he has averaged 26.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.

It’s really the efficiency that stands out. This season, his field goal percentage has only dipped below 50 percent five times in 39 games.

Back on March 15, ESPN Stats & Info pointed out another impressive stat for Williamson (and that’s not the only one):

He didn’t quite add another to his tally on Sunday, but he came close with a 69 percent field goal percentage to go along with his 30-point game.

It’s just a shame the Pelicans’ team fortunes haven’t risen with Williamson’s. New Orleans sits fourth in the Southwest division at 18-24 this season. Since Williamson started his streak, the team is 9-12.

While Williamson and Brandon Ingram have come to play, the team hasn’t found the right balance to turn strong individual performances into victories.

Williamson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The hype for his pro career was huge, but a torn meniscus in the preseason kept him out for the first three months of his rookie season. When he did make his debut, he proved quickly he could live up to expectations. He put up 22 points in his first-ever NBA game and later had a 13-game stretch with 20 points or more.

It’s crazy to think Williamson is only 20 years old. The best is probably yet to come.