“Gotta Go Finish This”: Zion Williamson Breaks Down Thought Process Behind Emphatic Slam vs Spurs

Zion Williamson has been battling ‘unfit’ and ‘not in game shape’ allegations for a long time. The Pelicans forward is steadily making progress towards the same and the results are starting to show in his game. Williamson had a good showing tonight against the San Antonio Spurs, but the highlight of the game was his dunk in the fourth quarter.

With three defenders standing in his way, the 24-year-old leaped from near the free-throw line. He threw it down with both hands to finish the powerful dunk.

Williamson’s slam had the arena roaring in excitement as fans stood up in acknowledgment. He put up 18 points in the game with six rebounds and three assists. Williamson was accompanied by Trey Murphy III, who had a game-high 24 points as the Pelicans closed the game 109-103 at home. At the post-game presser, Williamson was asked about the thought process behind his dunk.

He said, “I missed a few shots I feel like I usually make. The thought process was I gotta go finish this. I made it work.” Smiling ear to ear while answering the question, Williamson seemed to be impressed with his dunk and the overall output on the floor tonight.

Clips of his dunk were immediately shared on social media and quickly became viral. Several fans praised Williamson for his athleticism while some took the opportunity to question those who berated the 24-year-old for his lack of fitness.

Zion Williamson’s dunk has the fans raving about him

One fan wrote that if Williamson has skills like this in his bag, he should “Join the dunk contest next year.” For the last few years, Mac McClung has been saving the dunk contests with his impressive range of dunks. If a star like Williamson decides to enter the contest, it’ll create an even bigger buzz. The best we can do is be hopeful for it.

Williamson has faced criticism over the last few years as pundits believe he is wasting his talent by not taking the game seriously. After seeing his heroics on the floor tonight, a fan stated “A healthy Zion is an MVP candidate.”

Another fan took a shot at Williamson’s critics, “Guys who “aren’t in shape” can’t do that.” The statement is not solely based on sentiment. It’s a fair argument because an unfit player can’t generate such force while going through multiple defenders and still manage to get enough hang time to complete a spectacular dunk.

The Pelicans have now won back-to-back games, bringing their total tally to 15 wins and 43 losses. While their hopes for the playoffs are dead this year, they still can keep working to better the team for the upcoming season.