Pelicans' Zion Williamson Says He Can Shoot 3s but 'If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It'

Zion Williamson is averaging a solid 22.7 points per game this season, all after missing the 2021-22 campaign, but he's doing it entirely at the basket.

According to The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, Williamson hasn't attempted a shot further than eight feet from the rim. But for now, the young superstar is hesitant to mess with a good thing.

"It's a mental thing for me," Williamson told O'Connor about his reluctance to shoot from the perimeter. "I can shoot the faders; I can shoot the middies; I can shoot the threes. But in the game, I'm such a perfectionist. I'm so locked in that mindset that the best shot is the closest shot to the basket. I feel like when I get to the basket at will, if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

It isn't "broke," but it isn't ideal, either. The Pelicans are 5-4, and Williamson extending his range would make him even harder to defend. He's proved he can do it in the past, shooting 42.9 percent from three as a rookie, though that nosedived to 29.4 percent in his sophomore campaign.

This isn't a Ben Simmons situation for New Orleans—Williamson still aggressively attacks the basket, attempting 18 shots per game—but it will be a limitation to his game if he doesn't push past his current mental block.

"[Assistant coach Teresa Weatherspoon and player development coach Corey Brewer] help me break that mental block," he told O'Connor about working with the pair on his shooting during practices. "It's just a matter of shooting it and being OK with it if I miss it."