The NBA needs to brace itself as Zion Williamson has finally returned to an NBA court. Zion’s entire career so far has been built with anticipation of what he could do when he’s healthy. He showed that in 2020-21 but ended up getting hurt and missing the entirety of last season. There was a lot of anticipation for his return to the court against the Brooklyn Nets.
Zion delivered on all the expectations laid on him for this game with a solid 25-point and 9-rebound game in just 30 minutes. The Pelicans dominated the Nets, who were led by Kevin Durant’s admirable 32-point performance. Fans were shocked at how Zion dominated the Nets, getting Ben Simmons to foul out and helping the Pelicans win by 22 points.
Zion looked unstoppable on the court while not affecting the production of Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum. The Nets’ defense looked completely out of sorts against the Pelicans, and this may be foreshadowing a worrying season.
Can Zion Williamson Catapult The Pelicans Into A Top 4 Seed?
The Pelicans made a fantastic push into the playoffs late in the 2021-22 season after acquiring CJ McCollum. In addition, the Pels had a great series against the No. 1 seeded Suns, winning 2 games against them. The role-players on the Pels are extremely valuable in the form of Jonas Valanciunas, Herb Jones, Jose Alvarado, and more.
Considering the incredible production from Zion seamlessly fitting into the existing Pelicans’ system, fans should be extremely excited about this team’s potential. They can score on all three levels, defend almost every position, and are still just finding their chemistry after Zion’s return.
The Pelicans are definitely going to push toward being a surprising home-court team this season. If the Warriors, Clippers, and Nuggets are expected to take the top 3 seeds, the Pelicans could easily swoop in (no pun intended) and be the No. 4 seed, if not higher. It is going to be a very promising season in the Bayou this year.
