Zion Williamson was highly touted as a prospect before coming into the league, and thus far, he has delivered on expectations. Over the course of his sophomore season, Williamson averaged 27.0 PPG and 7.0 RPG, while shooting over 60% from the field. The sky is the limit for the young forward.
While Williamson had a great individual season, the New Orleans Pelicans ended up missing the playoffs once again. That was certainly a disappointing outcome for the team. However, there is a good chance that things will be different next season. The Pelicans have made some solid roster moves, and Zion Williamson will likely continue to improve.
Despite the potential of this New Orleans Pelicans squad, it has previously been rumored that Zion Williamson’s family wanted him out of New Orleans. It has also been reported that Zion Williamson was frustrated with David Griffin about the handling of his injuries during his rookie season. This has led to some speculation that Zion Williamson could be on his way out sooner rather than later.
Despite the speculation about his future, it seems as though Zion Williamson isn’t really worried about forcing an exit from New Orleans. When speaking to Joel Meyers and Antonio Daniels on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Zion Williamson stated that “anybody that knows” him also knows that he likes the city of New Orleans. Williamson also talked about how he blocks out all the outside noise regarding the situation.
"Anybody that knows me…they know that I love New Orleans"@PelicansNBA star Zion Williamson shares a personal story with @JoelMeyersNBA and @adaniels33 on how he blocks out distractions…and shares why he loves playing for the Pelicans#WontBowDown pic.twitter.com/aflsd06tke
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) October 1, 2021
It’s something me an my mom talk about a lot… For me, when it was just me and my mom and my brother in our apartment, struggling so much, nobody was checking for me then. It was just us trying to figure out a way to survive, and she did everything she could so I could pursue my dreams. Unless she was there, the outside noise doesn’t mean much.
New Orleans? I love it here. Anybody that knows me, they know that I love New Orleans. This is the city for me. I’m a low key dude, I don’t do too much, and the city just fits me.
This will certainly be a relief to Pelicans fans, amidst many people suggesting that Zion Williamson could be headed for the exit door soon. Hopefully, the team can perform well this year and make the playoffs, giving Williamson further incentive to stay beyond just his love of the city.
The New Orleans Pelicans have a solid young core, led by All-Stars in Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson. There is no question that there are talented players on the squad. This could be an amazing season for the Pelicans, and perhaps they’ll be able to surprise a lot of people.
