The NBA Draft is tonight and the New Orleans Pelicans are — for this one, brief moment — the focal point of the basketball universe.

It has been laughably ridiculous to watch and hear the incredulous comments about how Duke’s Zion Williamson, one of the all-time best prospects in history, will end up with the Pelicans, who have the overall No. 1 pick. Immediately after the lottery order was chosen, stories were being written and comments were made about ways he could “get out” of having to go to New Orleans.

Earlier this week, a story was written about how the draft should be abolished and Williamson should be free to choose wherever he’d like to play. Incidentally, the article didn’t mention any other player.

Do you think all of these things would have been written or said if the New York Knicks or the Los Angeles Lakers had come up with the #1 pick? Of course not.

Coupled with a massive trade that sent disgruntled star Anthony Davis to the Lakers for a mass of young talent, the Pelicans might be too young to compete for much of anything the next two years. Or maybe not. This much is for certain — they’ll be fun to watch.

They might very well start four players who should still have eligibility in college. But it’s all on Williamson, because as he goes, the Pelicans will go. Somebody who is obviously looking for attention wrote that in five years, the Pelicans would be bigger than the Saints. Let’s tap the brakes on that one, but if Williamson is what he’s been made out to be, it is going to be a very big deal.

As a #1 pick, Zion Williamson is as big of a deal as Lebron James (2003) and Patrick Ewing (1985). Let’s just hope he doesn’t turn out to be as little of a deal as Michael Olowokandi (1998) or Anthony Bennett (2013).

Never heard of them? Exactly.