Zion Williamson has gone through a weird start to his NBA career so far. He started with the high of being the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, but his first season was ravaged by injuries. He emerged as an All-Star in his sophomore year but followed that up by missing the entirety of his 3rd season in the league.
And before the postseason this year, there was a lot of speculation about whether Zion even wanted to be in New Orleans moving forward. Well, the Pelicans surprised everyone by making the playoffs and giving a tough fight to the No. 1 regular-season team in the league, the Phoenix Suns. And it was enough to get Williamson excited to come back and join the team as well.
Zion has also decided to end all the worry about his future and where it lies, confirming to ESPN that he wants to be with the Pelicans moving forward. This is after he said earlier in the year that he would sign the extension as fast as he could if the Pelicans decided to offer him one.
“I do want to be here. That’s no secret,” Williamson said of New Orleans, via ESPN. “I feel like I’ve stood on that when I spoke.. It was a long year for me for rehab and mental battles. I’m fine now. I’m ready to get to work.”
The addition of CJ McCollum and the continued growth of Brandon Ingram are excellent signs, as well as the emergence of rookies like Herb Jones and Jose Alvarado to flesh out the roster.
Expectations from Zion are massive. He was possibly the most hyped player to come into the draft in a long time when he entered the league in 2019. If he can carry this exciting young New Orleans team to the next level by staying healthy and playing to his potential next season, the narrative around him will once again change just as quickly.
