Category: News

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Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best footwear to hit the internet. This is a rare week where Adidas and Nike are operating on near-equal footing. Generally in SNX, Nike dominates — with, at a minimum, five to six sneakers in our roundup. But this week they’ve only snagged four, with Adidas coming in strong with three. That doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it very much feels like the Adidas version of Andre 3000’s iconic Source Awards speech. The three stripes got something to say!

Bringing the list to a nice even eight is New Balance with their latest collaboration, a very dope iteration of the 990v3 made with Amsterdam streetwear staple Patta. Let’s dive into this week’s eight best sneaker drops and where to buy them!

Women’s Air Jordan 3 Black Gold

This week’s Black Gold Air Jordan 3 exudes royal vibes. It combines classic Jordan 3 colors like black, cement grey, and fire red with shimmering metallic gold accents, coming across as a some sort of special commemorative Jordan. Is it the sneaker’s anniversary? Is it tied to a special collaboration? Nope, it’s just a regular Thursday over at Nike where they continue to churn out super fresh colorways in exclusive women’s sizing week to week.

Our favorite detail is the sail midsole. We always love a sail midsole!

The Women’s Air Jordan 3 Black Gold is set to drop on October 6th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT.

Converse x A-COLD-WALL Collection

It’s not easy to redesign a classic like the Chuck 70. That sneaker looks great as is, preferably in the classic black and white colorway, but a few labels have been able to tackle the sneaker and turn it into something that looks new. Virgil Abloh’s Off-White was one of those brands, the other is Samuel Ross’ A-COLD-WALL.

Featuring reflective detailing and a smokey translucent midsole, the A-COLD-WALL collection drops in two colorways — faded black and off-white — complete with alphanumeric branding and a futuristic aesthetic.

The Converse x A-COLD Wall Collection is set to drop on October 6th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $110. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Adidas Campus 80 South Park Towelie

The Towelie is back! First released last year on 4/20 (obviously) this beloved take on the Campus 80 is getting a re-release this week, just in time for your Towelie Halloween costume. Featuring a terry loop textile upper with leather lining, a rubber outsole and a handy stash pocket in the tongue, the Towelie sports graphic eyes on the tongue (one pair bloodshot red, the other Visine white) with famous Towelie quotes on the inner tongue and drops in a special commemorative Southpark designed box.

It’s dope, very bad pun intended.

The Adidas Campus 80 South Park Towelie is set to drop on October 6th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $100. Pick up a pair via the Adidas CONFIRMED app.

Adidas Mahomes 1 Black Panther Impact FLX

Adidas is dropping four Black Panther-related sneakers and as cool as they all are, we don’t have room for all four of them so we’re just going to highlight the best two, starting with the Mahomes 1.

Featuring a full texture upper in stealthy core black with gold metallic accents and what Adidas is calling “Tribe Purple” at the outsole, the Mahomes 1 Black Panther sports a football trainer-inspired design and is partly made from recycled content from the Adidas cutting room floor. It sits atop a plush BOOST midsole for ultimate comfort.

The Adidas Mahomes 1 Black Panther Impact FLX is set to drop on October 7th at 12:00 am PST for a retail price of $140. Pick up a pair via the Adidas CONFIRMED app.

Adidas Marvel Black Panther Ultra 4D

Although sneaker trends have slightly moved on, the Adidas Ultra 4D is still one of the brand’s best-looking and most comfortable sneakers and this new Black Panther-inspired redesign is the coolest the sneaker has looked in a while.

Featuring a Primeknit upper and that iconic 4D midsole, the Ultra features a grippy rubber outsole fit for all terrains, and weighs just 12.4 ounces (size 9), making it one of the lightest running sneakers on the market.

The Adidas Marvel Black Panther Ultra 4D is set to drop on October 7th at 12:00 am PST for a retail price of $220. Pick up a pair via the Adidas CONFIRMED app.

New Balance x Patta MADE in USA 990v3

This week New Balance is linking up with beloved Amsterdam streetwear brand Patta for a new take on the 990v3. Patta’s 990v3 features a pigskin suede and mesh upper in soft olive tones with bright green detailing, a speckled ABZORB midsole, reflective detailing and Patta branding at the heel. The design was apparently inspired by trees, which, sure, I guess it’s green. Who cares, it looks dope regardless!

The New Balance x Patta MADE IN USA 990v3 is set to drop on October 7th at 7:00 am PST for a retail price of $219.99. Pick up a pair at New Balance.

Nike Air Jordan 3 Archaeo Brown

If you’re internally whining about the fact that the super sleek Black Gold Jordan 3 is only dropping in women’s sizing, stop, because people with larger feet are getting their own Jordan 3 as well. Dubbed the Archaeo Brown, this AJ-3 combines premium leather and textured detailing across a brown, maroon, and yellow colorway that exudes autumnal vibes.

Not autumnal enough? This sneaker also sports a plush fleece collar lining. It might not be as sleek and luxurious as the Black Gold, but the detailing is so on point that it makes up for it.

The Nike Air Jordan 3 Archaeo Brown is set to drop on October 8th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $210. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Nike Dunk Low Argon

The Argon, with its multi-shade blue colorway, looks dope, that’s undeniable. But this isn’t any all-blue Dunk, this colorway is downright legendary. Originally released as a highly sought out Japanese exclusive, the Argon is finally getting a US release!

The argon features a smooth leather upper with a plush collar, and a wraparound swoosh with white accents. It’s probably the best Dunk to drop all year.

The Nike Dunk Low Argon is set to drop on October 8th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $130. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis can’t be thrilled with the way that his week’s been going. First, he trotted out to survey Hurricane Ian damage, and god only knows what he was thinking while getting dressed (for what was obviously a photo op) because the public dragged him for wearing pristine white boots that looked like they came out of Nancy Sinatra’s costume closet. This distraction (and interruption from actual rescue work) does nothing to help DeSantis (who’s running for reelection and will probably win against Dem. Rep. Charlie Crist) in his obvious quest to eventually run for president. And now, he’s looking humiliated while residents of his own state flocked to Joe Biden and DeSantis slunk by like a pouty emo in the wrong outfit.

DeSantis couldn’t have been thrilled (and right-wing conspiracy theorists would probably agree) for a few reasons: (1) He was in close proximity to the so-called Dark Brandon; (2) A photo captured him looking extremely irritated while Florida residents looked as though they were fawning over Biden. This second aspect proved to be especially telling, given that a Very Florida Man (with a Cracker/Endangered Species t-shirt and everything) was involved and looked thrilled to be talking to the Democratic president.

Pulitzer Prize-winning Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci captured the goods.

Yes, Joe Biden simply showed up to do what presidents do, and this happened.

Soon enough, some “Hello darkness my old friend” remarks surfaced, along with mention that “Florida man has ghosted him for Dark Brandon.” This went down on DeSantis’ home turf, which couldn’t have been fun for him.

That wasn’t all, though. Soon enough memes, including Chad vs. Virgin, surfaced.

Is it time to head to Martha’s Vineyard, DeSantis? Too soon.

You could say Marine biologist, divemaster and National Geographic Explorer Dr. Erika Woolsey is a bit of a coral reef whisperer, one who brings her passion for ocean science to folks on dry land in a fresh, innovative and fun new way using virtual reality.

Images courtesy of Meta’s Community Voices film series

Her non-profit, The Hydrous, combines science, design, and technology to provide one-of-a-kind experiential education about marine life. In 2018, Hydrous produced “Immerse 360”, a virtual underwater journey through the coral reefs of Palau, with Dr. Woolsey as a guide.

Viewers got to swim with sharks, manta rays and sea turtles while exploring gorgeous aquatic landscapes and learning about the crucial role our oceans play—all from 360° and 3D footage captured by VRTUL 2 underwater storytelling VR cameras.

See on Instagram

Hydrous then expanded on the idea to develop two more exciting augmented adventures using Meta Quest 2 technology: “Expedition Palau,” a live event where audiences can share a “synchronized immersive reality experience”, which includes live narration from Woolsey, and “Explore,” a “CGI experience” to enjoy the magic of the ocean at home.

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“I’ve been extremely fortunate to explore and study coral reefs around the world,” Woolsey said, sharing that it was “heartbreaking” to see these important habitats decay so rapidly while the latest scientific reports did not clearly lead to widespread compassionate action.

“How do we care about something we never see or experience?” she reflected. As she discovered, virtual reality would be a powerful solution for eliciting empathy. “VR has the ability to generate presence and agency and make you feel like you’re there. It’s that emotional connection that can bridge scientific discovery and public understanding”

The combination of virtual reality and the ocean’s natural breathtaking beauty is, as Woolsey puts it, a “match made in heaven” for getting people more engaged in ocean education. “When you’re floating you can look up and down and all around you…seeing a school of fish surrounding you and reefs in these cathedral-like structures. Rather than watching a video of a scientist, you get to become the scientist.”

Hydrous also has special kits to provide middle school students hands-on learning about ocean life. In addition to a journal, activity cards and a smartphone VR viewer, each kit includes lifelike 3D printed model pieces of a coral reef so that middle school students can try building their own.

These reef models even turn white when temperatures rise inside the aquarium, which mimics the real “bleaching” that corals endure when they die due to higher than normal ocean temperatures. Students really do become scientists as they figure out how to bring color back to their reef.

While it’s true that the health of our oceans affects us all, the growing threats our oceans face—pollution, overfishing, climate change—don’t always affect us on an empathetic level. Through the use of technology, Woolsey has created an innovative way to connect hearts and minds to one of the Earth’s most important resources, which can inspire real and lasting change.

“We can’t bring everybody to the ocean, but we’re finding scalable ways to bring the ocean to everyone.”

To learn more about Hydrous, click here.

Henderson, Nevada is the site of one of the most unique prospect matchups in recent basketball history this week. On Tuesday, Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson squared off as the G League Ignite played host to Metropolitans 92, and after the Ignite came out on top, the two sides are going to run it back on Thursday afternoon.

It’s a rare matchup between the presumed top-2 prospects in an upcoming draft, made even more rare by the fact that it’s happening outside of college basketball. Like many of us, LeBron James tuned into the first game, and following the Los Angeles Lakers’ preseason tilt against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night, gave his thoughts on the “generational” French big man.

“What do I think of him? I think probably the same as everybody else thinks,” James said. “Everybody, we’re labeling this unicorn thing, everybody’s been a unicorn over the last few years. He’s more like an alien. No one has ever seen anyone as tall as he is, but as fluid and as graceful as he is on the floor at 7’4, or 7’5, or 7’3, whatever the case may be. His ability to put the ball on the floor, shoot step-back jumpers out of the post, step-back threes, catch-and-shoot threes, block shots, he’s for sure a generational talent and hopefully he continues to stay healthy, that’s what’s most important.”

James went on to say that both Wembanyama and Henderson are “big-time” players, then lamented about how fortunate he was to have gone through life as an all-time prospect in a “small town” that kept him “locked in” before the era of social media.

The second game between Wembanyama and Henderson will take place on Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Remember when the MCU started, when the big debate about the upcoming Marvel movies was how could a character like Captain America be used in such a cynical time like … 2011? You know, Captain America, an A-list superhero if there ever was one, and the discussion was, “Can this work?” (For the record, I have no doubt I participated in that discussion.) Well, flash forward a decade or so and now the conversation is, “Hey, have you seen Werewolf by Night yet?” Or, “Hey, Man-Thing is in the MCU now … that’s pretty cool.” Honestly, it blows my mind that there’s a Werewolf by Night MCU entry now.

Well, in this case, “entry” means “Marvel Studios Special Presentation,” the first of its kind. It’s not quite a movie, but it’s not a series. It’s a self-contained story, coming in at just under an hour, that, in theory, is just supposed to live on its own as an eerie Halloween treat.

The original Werewolf by Night premiered in 1972, then got his own title that ran for 43 issues. My dad, strangely, had a lot of Werewolf by Night comics, so he was one of the first Marvel characters I ever read. They were fairly accessible, as were most horror comics from that era – in that I wasn’t expected to know a ton of supporting characters or a lot of backstory. (Moon Knight actually made his debut in a now very expensive issue of Werewolf by Night) So it’s fitting that the Werewolf by Night Marvel Studios Special Presentation follows the same formula. A viewer has to know literally nothing about anything that came before in the MCU. The only thing that would help would to be familiar with what a werewolf is.

Gael García Bernal plays Jack Russell, the title character and the original lead character of the Werewolf by Night book. (There’s another Werewolf by Night, but the whole theme of this Marvel Studios Special Presentation seems to be to keep it simple, so let’s not delve into that.) Monster hunters from around the globe are summoned to a secret meeting after their leader has died. They are to anoint a new leader, and the way this will be decided is a hunt for a ferocious monster somewhere at the lair in which they have all gathered. No, they are not hunting Jack. Jack is in attendance as a hunter, yet no one knows what lurks beneath his surface. The monster they are all there to hunt is the aforementioned Man-Thing. As much as I can’t believe there’s a show (sorry, “Marvel Studios Special Presentation”) I doubly can’t believe there’s a live-action Man-Thing.

Now, more people are familiar with the DC character Swamp Thing. There was even a live-action Swamp Thing movie, directed by Wes Craven, that came out in the early 1980s. And then there was the quickly canceled television series from 2019. But Man-Thing predates Swamp Thing by over a year, even though Man-Thing often creates puzzled looks on people’s faces when he’s brought up over cocktails. (I speak from experience.) Well, no more! From now on when people look confused at the mention of Man-Thing’s name, it can easily be resolved by saying, “Oh, you know, that monster guy from the Werewolf by Night Marvel Studios Special Presentation.”

Directed by Michael Giacchino, best known for his work as a composer, he does that here, too … I’ll admit, Werewolf By Night was gnarlier than I expected for an MCU entry debuting on Disney+. Of course, this is still going to be MCU-level gore, but there is a mood and tone here that feels fresh. And being presented in black and white gives it a spooky charm. The whole thing, being released in October, makes a lot of sense. I hope Marvel actually does more of these kinds of entries with their lesser-known characters, ones that aren’t superheroes, that are self-contained, and have literally nothing to do with anything that has come before. For instance, Marvel has a plethora of Western titles that were published in the ’70s, just as Werewolf by Night. (My dad had a lot of these, too.) I’d love to see an MCU rendition of Two-Gun Kid or Rawhide Kid. (If you delve into the more recent history of Rawhide Kid, there’s quite a bit that could be done there.)

But for now we’ll take this as a nifty little Halloween season treat from Marvel.

‘Werewolf By Night’ premieres via Disney+ on October 7th. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

HBO just dropped the full trailer for The White Lotus Season 2, and it’s full of all the rich debauchery and intrigue that fans of the originally limited series have come to expect. Along with the return of Emmy winner Jennifer Coolidge, Season 2 features a fully stacked cast that includes Aubrey Plaza, The Sopranos‘ Michael Imperioli, and F. Murray Abraham as they take part in a decadent vacation in Sicily packed with sexual intrigue. (Read: Rich people having rich people affairs because they’re bored with being rich.)

As for what to expect in the new season, creator Mike White is keeping the plot closely under wraps, but he has sprinkled out a few details. Via Vulture:

In season two, White has pulled back from writing about the power dynamics between guests and employees; here in Sicily, he was drawn to the myths of masculinity and femininity and to one of his recurring fascinations: the particularities of jealousy, especially of the sexual kind. White loves the types of feelings that involve wishing you were someone else or somewhere else. He chooses to describe this season as “a bedroom farce with teeth.”

Judging by the trailer, Season 2 is definitely loaded with jealous lovers and jilted spouses. In fact, Plaza recently revealed that shooting the series was “really intense” thanks to White knowing her on a “way more intimate level than most people know me.”

“I relate to this character more than any character I’ve ever played,” Plaza told Entertainment Weekly. “It’s really, really close to home. It felt very naked. It was pretty devastating and hard.”

The White Lotus Season 2 premieres October 30 on HBO Max.

Many musicians reacted to the overturning of Roe V. Wade by speaking up on social media and sharing resources for safe abortions. Yesterday, a ton of acts came together to announce the Good Music To Ensure Safe Abortion Access To All compilation, which will fundraise for organizations facilitating abortion access starting on Friday, Oct. 7, on Bandcamp. It will only be available for 24 hours.

Wet Leg was one of the bands to participate. The “Chaise Longue” performers contributed “Loving You (Demo),” an unreleased version of the song of the same title from their debut that came out this year. It’s more lo-fi, but at the same time more visceral and full of feeling — it’s a great slice of raw indie rock.

Other musicians on the roster of the compilation include Amanda Shires x Jason Isbell, Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros, Cat Power, Daniel Rossen, David Byrne x Devo, Death Cab for Cutie, Fleet Foxes, Gia Margaret, Grouplove, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Mac DeMarco, Maya Hawke, Overcoats, Pearl Jam, PUP, The Regrettes, R.E.M., Sleater-Kinney, Soccer Mommy, Tegan and Sara, Thao x Tune-Yards, Ty Segall, and more. The cover artwork was made by the one and only Kim Gordon.

Listen to “Loving You (Demo)” above. Find the compilation here.

It’s a great time to be Jason Momoa. He has reached the level in his career where, in between starring in a post-apocolyptic Apple TV show and becoming a Fast and Furious villain, he gets to play a Willy Wonka-type character in the upcoming fantasy movie, Slumberland. And that’s all that an actor aspires to do!

The film follows Nema, a young girl with a wild imagination who enters the world of Slumberland, a dream-like reality where everything goes: stuffed animals come alive, beds turn into boats, and Jason Momoa magically appears! Everyone has dreams like this!

The movie is adapted from the Little Nemo comic series from the early 1900s which depicts a young boy with fantastic dreams. For the Netflix adaptation, Nemo was changed to Nema, played by Marlow Barkley, a little girl who recently lost her father. Momoa’s Flip is a half-man, half-beast, full jokester who lives in the dream world. According to the official synopsis:

Welcome to Slumberland, the world of dreams! Jason Momoa plays “Flip” an eccentric outlaw on a mission to help a young girl (Marlow Barkley) travel through dreams and flee nightmares, in hopes of reuniting with her father.

From The Hunger Games: Catching Fire director Francis Lawrence, Slumberland also stars Kyle Chandler, Weruche Opia, India de Beaufort and Chris O’Dowd.

The movie premieres on Netflix on November 18th. Check out the trailer above.

This year’s BET Hip-Hop Awards were certainly eventful. We saw the long-awaited reunion of Clipse, BET paid tribute to one of the underrated greatest labels in hip-hop history, and GloRilla completed her jaw-dropping 2022 with a Breakthrough Artist award. However, the show wasn’t without its controversy. While Latto’s win for Song Of The Year didn’t come as a surprise for most people — after all, “Big Energy” and its Mariah Carey-featuring remix were pretty much ubiquitous throughout the summer — one viewer couldn’t accept the result and let the world know how he felt about it.

Kodak Black, who was also up for Song Of The Year for his 2021 single “Super Gremlin,” gave a frankly gross response to Latto’s win, calling her a “hating ass mutt” and attributing the win to her gender rather than the fact that it was an absolute, unequivocal fan favorite. “The Woman Empowerment Shit Kool,” he wrote. “Don’t Take Nun From Nobody But You Still Gotta Work For It ! Don’t Jus Simply Give It To Somebody Kuz They A Woman !!!!! If That’s The Case Y’all Shoulda Gave Song Of The Year To Glorilla Not That Hating Ass Mutt.”

He continued to name other examples of songs that should have won in his mind, trying to deflect accusations of sour grapes. “Not Drake!” he wondered. “Not Future! Hell Nawl!!!! @Connieorlando Needs To B Fired!!! Dat Stupid Ass Song Ain’t Move Nobody! Forget About Me At This Point! AT LEAST [GloRilla’s viral hit] “F*ck N**** Free” [aka “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)”] Was A Anthem! Tf You Think ‘SONG OF THE YEAR’ Mean???? Everyone Needa Boycott @Connieorlando & @BET! Y’all Lame Af & Y’all Not Really For The People Fr! BET WATERED DOWN!!!”

Of course, it’s hard to ignore the fact that when Latto accused one of her male collaborators of holding up a sample after she refused to entertain his flirtation, Kodak was fans’ prime suspect. And while he denied it was him at the time, he seems to be forgetting that she never accused him by name. Awards shows can never please everyone — all of the artists and songs that get nominated for awards usually deserve them or they wouldn’t be nominated in the first place — but it’s a shame to see Kodak still hasn’t learned to comport himself with any amount of class.

After 518 days, Zion Williamson played basketball for the New Orleans Pelicans again on Tuesday night, enticing in a preseason opening win against the Chicago Bulls. On the surface level, it was awesome simply to see Williamson back on the court, healthy and in shape.

We’ve seen the pictures and read the quotes since media day, but to see his explosiveness again in a live game scenario is an instantaneous reminder of his mesmerizing and powerful talents. His second jump remains immaculate.

The short area quickness and ground coverage he possesses were on full display throughout the game. As phenomenal as he was during 2020-21 season, there were moments in which his lateral quickness and his ability to play in space were pretty dicey. He seemed to have less of that pop on rotations that made him such an intriguing otherworldly prospect; his defensive potential coming out of Duke wasn’t the main selling point, but it’s seemingly been lost in the ether that he wasn’t supposed to be a poor defender coming into the league.

Tuesday night showed some of the most consistent, engaged, and positive defense we’ve seen from Williamson in his NBA career. While noting that we need to be careful with preseason takeaways, I’d argue these hold more merit considering how long it’s been since Williamson last played. It’s still important to take preseason minutes with a grain of salt, but the actual play was greatly encouraging.

He was zoning up on the back-end, splitting the difference between the corner and the slot; a vital part of New Orleans’ defense considering how much they rely on backline rotations to help the helper against ball screen actions. He didn’t get backcut, had a few nice recovery plays including a steal knifing into a passing lane, and his communication and overall awareness and engagement stood out. He’s not on track for All-Defense, but the player we saw looked like a positive scheme defender capable of making some chaos plays few in basketball can. That’s a gigantic improvement compared to who Williamson has been in the NBA.

This play was a decent representation of his on-ball defense.

He’s a little late in tracking Patrick Williams, but this is probably a blow by in 2021 rather than working to get back in front, riding out the drive, funneling to the rim protection, and ultimately contesting a shot. It’s bend but don’t break defense. It can be better and needs to be better in time, but Zion Williamson’s defensive backbone wasn’t built in a day.

One thing that is worth monitoring throughout the season is how the team handles screening actions with Williamson. After struggling to generate good offense early in the first half, Chicago started to throw in some back screens and pin-ins on Williamson, who keeps Caruso in front coming off the curl. Caruso pulls for a jumper, which is fine enough process, but there’s room to be active and aggressive in handling this screen.

On the second play, Williamson roams low and then calls out a switch when Caruso feigns a screen for Williams before executing a 45 cut. This puts Jose Alvarado on Williams, who flows into a pick and roll. CJ McCollum’s nail stunt stops the action. This works in the setting — Alvarado is a heady defender in spite of his small stature — and the scheme works. It’ll be interesting to see how opposing offenses look to prod some of those switches given that some mismatches can redefine how the court can be utilized by an offense given personnel.

On the final play, there’s two straight screens with Williamson switching. The ball stays in front and Caruso misses wide with a floater. Again, I like the process. There’s room for better positioning and some more aggression from Williamson in attacking screens, squeezing some of the space, and using his arms actively, but this is quality stuff that we’ve seen the Pelicans utilize last season.

I’m interested to see how the staff continues to toy with their ball screen coverages. They have a ton of length and activity on the wings that can let you get away with more aggression and funneling. Do they maybe look to throw in blitzes and situational pressure if Williamson can add some more defensive balance?

While there are plenty of questions on the defensive side of the ball, Williamson offensive utilization has me giddy. I just need to gush about how talented Zion Williamson is real quick: Even without the ball, he’s so good at being assertive and finding ways to impact the offense. He’s phenomenal on the glass and with duck-ins or quick cuts to rim run. He sets impromptu screens to free up the corner or slot. He attacks guards with seals and post-ups.

Williamson really challenges what “spacing” is and how it can be over-idealized with 5-out play. While he is not a steady shooter, his constant activity contributes to good offensive flow and continuity. That’s his impact without even touching the ball.

And then, there’s what he is capable of doing when he touches the ball.

His dynamism as a handler, roller, scorer, and playmaker all in one is not something even close to common in basketball at any level. It’s easy to forget just how dynamic he is when you haven’t seen him play live in so long. Watching him slot back in reminds me of how much he makes the guys around him make sense. While Brandon Ingram and McCollum can dent a defense and create advantages, Williamson creates them at a rate neither can replicate. The margins for error are a little bit larger when your focal point can draw three players in the paint.

This is a defensive breakdown to be certain, but it happens because Williamson pushes off a miss, catches the defense on their heels, and there are 3.5 defenders glued to him with their eyes. Should Naji Marshall shoot the three? Probably, but he attacks that gap incredibly quickly, the defense is still reacting, and he hits Jonas Valanciunas with the dump off for an easy basket. It’s Marshall’s assist, but Williamson’s gravity reverberates through the box score.

Set wise, Willie Green is letting the chopper sing! They opened with Williamson in the corner quite a few times and coming off of staggered screens into his own ball screen. He missed his first drive to the rim, but drew a few fouls after getting skinny as the game went on. Even when stifled, he’s so explosive that it’s hard to not foul him. Force a miss, and he has a pretty great chance to get it for a put back himself or kick it back out thanks to that aforementioned second jump ability.

He got opportunities as a hand-off operator, as a post-hub, and generated great looks in transition simply by running the floor without the ball. He was used a ton rolling or cutting to the rim as initial actions in sets to grab defensive attention. It felt like every action he could’ve been involved in, there was some sort of look thrown his way to test it out. It was a smattering of what may come in a dynamic offense that should power this team.

All that came in less than 16 minutes of play. We’re en route for an exciting NBA season, and Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans are a budding reason for that excitement.