- Pelicans players want to see Zion Williamson healthy “to believe it”
- Williamson is in elite shape right now
- The New Orleans Pelicans’ championship hopes rely on Williamson
Power forward Zion Williamson is generally viewed as the best player on the New Orleans Pelicans and the face of the franchise. We all know how dominant Williamson can be when healthy, but the problem is that the superstar has not been able to stay on the court.
This summer, it seems as though Zion Williamson is more motivated than ever. It was reported earlier this offseason that Williamson has spent more time in the gym than ever before, and that is certainly a positive. However, the key is the star showing that he can stay on the court. In fact, a recent report from Shams Charania revealed that other Pelicans players want to see him stay healthy to “believe it”.
“Teammates, they want to see it to believe it. They want to see Zion Williamson come in, the shape he’s in. They want to see if he’s ready to go. They know if he plays 60, 70 games, this is a team that can compete.” (3:21)
"The Pelicans believe that Zion Williamson is in really good shape and they're excited about his progress..
I think he understands the level of commitment that he needs to have moving forward" ~ @ShamsCharania #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/x1MBCkcgpA
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 28, 2023
There is no doubt that the New Orleans Pelicans can be contenders if Zion Williamson ever figures out his health issues. They have the talent to be successful, and Williamson is clearly the missing piece.
During the 2022-23 season, Zion Williamson put up 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game while shooting an efficient 60.8% from the field. He clearly has a lot of upside as a player, and the key is simply being able to keep up his performances for a whole season rather than short bursts.
Zion Williamson Is Trying To Prepare His Body To Withstand The Long NBA Season
The NBA schedule definitely has a lot of games, with teams playing a minimum of 82 games, and playoff teams playing anywhere from 16 to 28 games. Players need to prepare their bodies to withstand such a toll, especially due to the intensity of playoff games. It was previously revealed that Zion Williamson is focusing on durability in his workouts and that Williamson is focused on preparing his body for a long season.
“Been hearing good things about the work Zion’s putting in this summer. Was told he’s been really focused on making sure his body is prepared for a long season. Think he’s gonna come in with a chip on his shoulder”, said Will Guillory.
It will be interesting to see whether Zion Williamson will finally manage to last an entire season in the NBA. There are new requirements to get awards such as MVP and All-NBA, with players needing to play 65 games at minimum to qualify. That could be a motivator for Williamson, and we’ll see what happens in the future.
The Pelicans’ Success Lies With Zion Williamson
At the end of the day, the New Orleans Pelicans will not find championship success without Zion Williamson. He has a perfect co-star in Brandon Ingram and a veteran guard he can trust in CJ McCollum on the roster. He has to be the superstar he is meant to be for the team to win at a high level.
We will have to wait to see what this season looks like for Zion Williamson. The New Orleans Pelicans have a really high ceiling with him, and hopefully, he is ready to become a top-tier player in the NBA.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
