Zion Williamson

With player ratings out and some of the game's biggest upgrades now understood, it's time for players to start thinking about strategy in NBA 2K22.

The latest effort from developer Visual Concepts offers big gameplay upgrades as it releases on next-generation consoles for only the second time. Ditto for feature upgrades across the board in modes such as MyGM, MyLeague, MyTeam and even the WNBA-centric The W thanks to a new Seasons feature that reworks goals and rewards.

So online or off, competitive or casual, which young NBA stars are the best players to build teams around in this year's game? First up, naturally, is the game's cover star.

Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

No great shocker that the cover star appears on such a list, right?

Luka Doncic earned cover honors by blitzing his way into the NBA via the third pick in 2018, averaging better than 21 points per game in all three of his seasons to date and earning Rookie of the Year honors and a pair of First-Team All-Pro nods.

Over 66 games last season, he averaged 27.7 points while shooting 47.9 percent from the floor. He's still only 22 and has a 94 overall rating at game's launch, just two points behind the four players good enough to earn the game's highest rating.

A force on the real court, Doncic's digital representation should be the first that comes to mind when grabbing young guys to build around in any game mode.

Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans 

For those who want to build a potential dynasty from the inside out around a budding star, look no further than Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans.

The first pick in 2019 only made it into 24 games as a rookie before erupting along expected lines as a sophomore. Over 61 games last year, he averaged 27.0 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 61.1 percent from the floor.

To say it feels like Zion is just getting started is a big understatement. The folks behind the 2K ratings seem to agree, as he's the first player on the list just under a 90 at an 89 overall. And for those players who want to run at a championship in style, Zion has the game's highest dunk rating at a 97.

While Zion doesn't align with recent common online metas that spam shots from deep, he's a fun, refreshing foundational piece for a contender on the digital courts.

Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks

Want to center a team around a point with deadly range and the ability to get those around him involved at an elite level? There are a few sound options, but Trae Young's speed and abilities might make him the best bet on the digital courts.

The fifth pick in the 2018 draft has blossomed into one of the game's top outright weapons, as evidenced by the 89 overall rating he shares with Williamson. As a sophomore, he averaged 29.6 points per game, and over three seasons he averages 24.1 points and 8.9 assists while shooting 43.1 percent from the floor and 34.3 percent from deep.

Whether solo or online, it's hard to complain about a guy who can do it all as opponents struggle to keep up. Young has got the feel of one of the league's next big things, if he's not there already. And his ability to get shooters open with high-percentage looks makes roster-building easier.

Plus, it doesn't hurt that the near-90 overall rating is bound to keep climbing from here.

The New Orleans Pelicans are looking to turn things around after falling short of expectations last season.

There should have been enough talent in the team to compete in the Western Conference with emerging stars in Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram leading a rotation mixed with veteran and young talent like Eric Bledsoe, Steve Adams, Lonzo Ball and others.

Things did not go according to plan, though, resulting in a 31-41 record that was far from playoff contention.

Stan Van Gundy was replaced after just one year as head coach, and the team is left to start from scratch trying to get back into the playoffs.

New head coach Willie Green still has a lot to work with heading into 2021-22, but the on-court play must be much better as the squad tries to navigate the upcoming schedule.

2021-22 Pelicans Schedule Details

Season Opener: Oct. 20 vs. Philadelphia 76ers

Championship Odds: +10000 (FanDuel)

Full Schedule: NBA.com

Top Matchups

Los Angeles Lakers (First game: Feb. 27)

We're now two years removed from the trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Lakers, but it's likely still fresh on the mind of many Pelicans fans. The Lakers have a championship and New Orleans has two losing seasons since then. 

The Pelicans lost Lonzo Ball this offseason, but former Lakers Ingram and Josh Hart remain to try to get revenge on the team that traded them away.

Beyond the personal feuds, this matchup could be important for New Orleans as a measuring stick against one of the top teams in the NBA. 

The Lakers have nearly completely rebuilt their roster this offseason, adding Russell Westbrook alongside Davis and LeBron James to potentially make them even stronger going into 2021-22. A win here could prove the Pelicans are a new team and ready to contend after a few disappointing years.

Additionally, a showdown between LeBron and Zion will always be a crowd-pleaser. 

Memphis Grizzlies (First game: Nov. 13)

After Ja Morant won the Rookie of the Year award in 2019-20, Williamson easily surpassed the Memphis Grizzlies point guard last season from an individual perspective. 

Zion finished last season with averages of 27.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, hitting 61.1 percent of shots from the field. The 21-year-old has proved to be a force in the paint, and he is still just scratching the surface of his potential.

Morant had another solid season while averaging 19.1 points and 7.4 assists per game, but it was a minimal jump from his first year in the league.

It's been a different story when measuring team success, though, with the Grizzlies coming off a trip to the playoffs last year. They will likely remain a top competitor for a postseason spot in 2021-22, making every game against them an important one in the standings.

Center Jonas Valanciunas can help change the tide after a trade from Memphis to New Orleans this offseason. It remains to be seen if this is enough to jump the Southwest Division foe in the standings.

Season Forecast

The tools are there for the Pelicans to have a successful season.

Williamson and Ingram could be an elite tandem, while Valanciunas gives the team another reliable scorer in the post after averaging a career-high 17.1 points per game last season. Devonte' Graham could also add some much-needed outside shooting to create even more balance offensively.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kira Lewis and Jaxson Hayes will all look to take another step next season with more playing time, each capable of becoming difference-makers for the Pelicans.

It still won't matter if the defensive effort doesn't improve.

New Orleans finished 23rd in the NBA in defensive efficiency while allowing the second-most made threes in the league. This must be fixed in order for the team to do any damage in the Western Conference.

Perhaps a new voice in the locker room will help as Green comes over from the Phoenix Suns. It could be enough for the Pelicans to post a winning record and at least get into the playoff conversation.

Record Prediction: 44-38

Must be 21+ and present in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, West Virginia, Colorado, or Tennessee. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. See sportsbook.fanduel.com for details.

Already boasting a roster of young talent and needing to take steps forward quickly, the New Orleans Pelicans are a team of interest with their first pick in the 2021 NBA draft. 

Per The Athletic's Zach Harper, there are people around the league expecting the Pelicans to trade the No. 10 overall pick "for some veteran help."

There could be increasing pressure mounting on the Pelicans' front office heading into the 2021-22 season.

New Orleans looked to be in an ideal position coming out of the Anthony Davis trade in July 2019. The franchise acquired promising young talents in that deal, including Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball, as well as three first-round draft picks. 

Prior to that deal, the Pelicans were able to select Zion Williamson with the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA draft. 

Harper did note it's unclear if the Pelicans could get an impact player with the 10th pick on its own, but "David Griffin is always active with these trades."

Despite having a talented nucleus to build around, the Pelicans have gone 61-83 over the past two seasons combined with no playoff appearances. They are still searching for a new head coach, their third in the past three seasons.    

Stan Van Gundy was fired last month after just one season as head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans, but he doesn't believe superstar forward Zion Williamson had anything to do with it.

Appearing on the STUpodity podcast (h/t ESPN's Andrew Lopez), Van Gundy said the following about his departure and his relationship with Williamson:

"I hate when it gets put on players that players are getting coaches fired and things like that. I think that makes players look bad and I don't think that's fair. Players certainly have the right to express their opinion to people and things like that but front offices and owners make decisions and they are the ones who make decisions to fire people. That should never be placed on players.

"I know this, regardless of what happened in that regard, Zion's no coach killer. He's a guy who is gonna help you win a lot of games. He plays the game the right way. One of the things I'll miss is the opportunity to continue to coach him. He's so unique in the way that he plays the game and the things that he can do, it really gets your mind spinning as a coach and you have a lot of possibilities in what you can do with him. That was fun to explore. I'm happy with what we did with Zion. I think we helped him. How anyone else felt about that would be up to them."

Williamson made strides during his second NBA season and earned his first career All-Star nod, but the Pels struggled as a team, going just 31-41 and missing the playoffs.

The 20-year-old Williamson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, and he put up some impressive numbers as a rookie, averaging 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 24 games under then-head coach Alvin Gentry.

New Orleans hired Van Gundy prior to the 2020-21 season, and Zion elevated his play with averages of 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 61.1 percent from the floor.

The Pelicans also got great play out of Brandon Ingram (23.8 PPG) this season, but there wasn't enough production from the rest of the roster to make them true playoff contenders.

Despite that fact that Williamson took another leap forward individually this season, there were reports of unhappiness after New Orleans was officially eliminated from the playoff race.

Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and William Guillory of The Athletic reported last month that some members of Williamson's family expressed displeasure with Van Gundy and the Pelicans as a whole.

The family members reportedly felt Van Gundy was "too rigid and demanding as head coach," and some reportedly wanted Zion to leave the Pelicans organization altogether.

There was no mention in the report of Williamson expressing similar feelings, and Van Gundy doubled down on the notion that there were no issues between him and Zion:

"I don't know anything about that. In my mind, I liked coaching Zion. I had a good relationship with him. I had no problem. I think we elevated his platform that we gave him. We put him in different situations, had him handling the ball a lot, playing a lot of point guard. I think we did some good things with him.

"If they were unhappy, I didn't hear about it. Zion was unhappy with us not winning more games, but Zion never expressed to me any of that. That doesn't mean he wasn't unhappy, it's possible that they were unhappy with me and that's what led to the change."

The Pelicans have missed the playoffs in each of Williamson's first two seasons with the team, and he is set to play for his third head coach in three seasons.

Prior to joining the Pels, Van Gundy was a successful NBA head coach with the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons. He reached the playoffs eight times in 12 seasons with those teams and took the Magic all the way to the NBA Finals in 2009.

There was some hope he would be able to accomplish something similar in New Orleans, but it ultimately wasn't a good fit, and the Pelicans are back on the hunt for a head coach who will mesh ideally with their superstar player.

Rapper Master P has thrown his hat into the ring as a candidate for the New Orleans Pelicans's new head coach following the dismissal of Stan Van Gundy after the team failed to qualify for the 2021 NBA playoffs.

Master P, real name Percy Miller, told TMZ Sports in an interview released Tuesday he's serious about the gig as a New Orleans native who had preseason stints as a player with the Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors in the late 1990s, and who's also gained coaching experience at the AAU level.

"I played in the NBA. I done coached a lot of great players that are in the league," Master P said. "I done took my sons from being high school athletes to maybe they'll be the next future big-time pro athletes. ... If they bring me in as a head coach or assistant coach, I think I can change the game!"

The Pelicans entered the season with high expectations thanks to a core led by Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball along with a solid supporting cast. The team never found its footing, however, finishing with a 31-41 record, and Van Gundy was let go after just one season.

A report from The Athletic on Thursday suggested "certain family members want Williamson on another team," and there's concern within the organization about whether those "feelings seeped into the player's own views."

So finding a coach who can help keep Williamson happy, a process that likely starts with winning more and becoming a legitimate contender in the loaded Western Conference, is crucial this offseason.

Master P believes he's the right person at the right time to fix what's ailed the Pelicans since taking Zion with the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft.

"We'll win, and Zion will be happy," he told TMZ. "... I feel like it's motivating the players and understanding them. That's the most important thing."

The famed musician pointed toward the Jacksonville Jaguars' signing of former quarterback Tim Tebow as an example of thinking outside the box.

"You look at Tim Tebow, they brought him to play as a tight end because they looking at times is changing," Master P said. "The NBA is entertainment. I think it's time for me to be the first hip-hop coach."

He's a long shot in the Pelicans' hunt for a head coach, but the franchise may benefit from getting him more involved in the organization given his connection to the city and his passion for the sport.

The New Orleans Pelicans may not be the New Orleans Pelicans for much longer.

According to John Hollinger of The Athletic, the Pelicans are "the most likely team to seek relocation in the coming decade." 

The team's lease in New Orleans only runs through 2024. Hollinger noted Pelicans governor Gayle Benson is "deeply connected to New Orleans and not currently seeking to sell, but losing money while finishing in the lottery has not been an enjoyable side venture to the main business of running the Saints."

Frankly, it hasn't been a banner week for the Pelicans. 

First, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Andrew Lopez reported the team fired head coach Stan Van Gundy after a single season. New Orleans went 31-41 under Van Gundy and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season despite having a talented roster featuring Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball.

Then, Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and William Guillory of The Athletic reported some of Zion's family members "want Williamson on another team."

According to The Athletic, some teams are monitoring "Williamson's family members' thinly veiled unhappiness with the Pelicans and whether those feelings seeped into the player's own views."

Williamson is the current and future franchise cornerstone for the Pelicans, so losing him would be a significant blow and make the team less attractive for fans and sponsors in the New Orleans area.

For now, the Pelicans are a step behind many of the other Western Conference contenders despite the presence of Williamson and Ingram.

The former is preparing to play for a third head coach in his third NBA season, and discussions about whether the franchise will even stay in New Orleans won't generate much of a sense of stability either.