Zion Williamson appears to be on a tear in preparation for a potential redeeming year with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Per Will Guillory of The Athletic, there were reports that Williamson is having great workouts this summer, with sources noting that the star big man is targeting to condition his body for a long season.
Many have filed their expectations that Williamson will finally fly and reach his utmost potential last 2022-23 season. But in the end, injuries ultimately limited the former No. 1 pick once again.
Williamson entered the previous season with high hopes and a fresh approach, as he missed the entire 2021-22 because of a foot injury and poor weight management. He was able to play in 29 games wherein he averaged 26.0 points, 7.0 boards, and 4.6 assists while shooting 60.8 percent from the field – plenty of solid numbers that aided him in catching his second All-Star nod.
But in January, Williamson was sidelined because of a hamstring injury. At first, the Pelicans weren’t concerned about the condition, but it was then relayed after a month that the big man suffered a setback which crashed his and New Orleans’ hopes of a probable bounce-back campaign.
Since he started his rookie year in the 2019-20 season, Williamson was only available for 114 total regular season games. As it is, the amount of play he only inserted so far in his career is truly disappointing, given his superstar ceiling and generational traits.
And in this offseason, there were even speculations that the Pelicans may explore trading Williamson, especially when the club was eyeing to draft Scoot Henderson.
Nonetheless, with what he’s been showcasing based on this recent report of Guillory, New Orleans fans can only hope that their cornerstone will finally be able to get over the hump and guide them to a higher standing. With the All-Star still locked to their core until the conclusion of the 2027-28 season, the Pelicans do have a high regard for what they can provide to Williamson while the likes of Brandon Ingram, C.J. McCollum, and Herb Jones continue to compose the team’s promising future alongside the 23-year-old sensation.
