The New Orleans Pelicans improbably made the playoffs this year after starting 1-12 on the season, and there’s no doubt that this was a great outcome for the team, especially since they were without Zion Williamson for the entire season.
It seems as though the team’s playoff run has motivated Zion Williamson, and he has recently claimed that he’s “excited to get back out there” after watching his team compete in the first round, adding that “the fans made it so much better”. While the New Orleans Pelicans are a small-market team, their fanbase is clearly passionate and willing to support a team that is winning. Andrew Lopez of ESPN relayed the news.
Williamson said he hasn’t been paying too much attention to the ongoing NBA Finals, instead focusing on his workouts with his teammates who are in town.
“Pels in the first round. That’s all I needed to see to really be excited to get back out there,” said Williamson, referencing the Pelicans’ first-round series against Phoenix after winning two play-in games. “It was exciting to see young players. Jose [Alvarado], Trey [Murphy III], Herb [Jones], Jaxson [Hayes]. Just blossoming into players I knew they could be and they knew they could be. Then watching [Brandon Ingram]. The name speaks for itself. Then CJ [McCollum] being added, it was something to watch. The fans made it so much better.”
There is no doubt that a healthy Zion Williamson could potentially push the New Orleans Pelicans to another level, even in the tough Western Conference. He is a budding superstar, and he and Brandon Ingram make up one of the best duos in the league.
Zion Williamson has also recently claimed that he wants to stay with the New Orleans Pelicans, and that’s good news for the franchise. Perhaps we’ll see him take them to the Finals one day, and the Pelicans are definitely a good young team that could breakthrough and become a contender.
