Mavericks head coach compares Pels' Zion Williamson to Shaquille O'Neal

Zion Williamson has been near unstoppable in his last two games for the New Orleans Pelicans. After dominating the fourth quarter in a 112-103 win over Dallas on Saturday, Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle compared Williamson to one of the best players in NBA history. 

"He's an unusual force and obviously a great player. We'll have to figure something a little better out next time, but he's doing this to everybody. ... He is just creating collisions out there," Carlisle said, according to ESPN's Andrew Lopez. "This is a Shaquille O'Neal-type force of nature with a point guard skill set."

Williamson's latest performance made him the first player to score 25 points or more while shooting 65% or better in four straight games since O'Neal accomplished the feat during the 1995-96 season, Lopez notes.

The 20-year-old has taken his game to the next level this season, averaging 26.3 points, seven rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 62.8% from the field and 34.8% from deep. He's currently the only player in the NBA averaging 25 points or more while shooting above 60% from the field.

Despite Williamson's stellar play, the Pelicans sit 12th in the Western Conference and could miss the playoffs for the third consecutive season. If that happens, several changes could be in store during the offseason.