Indiana Pacers fans were back at it on Saturday night, this time directing their playful ire toward another team whose fate is tied to James, the Cleveland Cavaliers. What chant did they go with this time when Cavs players went to the charity stripe?
“Tank for Zion!”
Zion Williamson, of course, is the player fans are referencing here. The Duke freshman has set the basketball world ablaze this season, averaging 22.0 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 2.2 steals per game as a freshman while shooting a laughable 68.2 percent from the field. The eye test, amazingly, is even more impressive. Williamson, listed at 6-foot-7, 285 pounds, is one of the most impressive athletes to ever step foot on a basketball court. He’s incredibly fast for his size, moves like a guard in short areas with and without the ball in his hands, and plays even stronger than his chiseled frame and listed weight suggest. What really pops when watching Williamson play, though, is his supernatural leaping ability,
The Cavs, reeling from the offseason departure of James, are an abysmal 11-44 this season, owning by far the league’s worst net rating at -11.3. Zion, here they come! One problem: The New York Knicks sit below them in the standings after losing 15 consecutive games, and have just as much incentive to maximize their chance at landing Williamson as Cleveland.
Meanwhile, the Pacers’ home crowd is quickly establishing itself as the NBA’s most lovable. Last week, the Bankers’ Life Fieldhouse faithful poked fun at the Los Angeles Lakers amid the Anthony Davis hysteria, chanting at Brandon Ingram and JaVale McGee when they stepped to the free throw line. For Ingram: “LeBron’s gonna trade you!” For McGee, an even more effective roast: “Not worth trading!”