- Zion Williamson’s work ethic has often been questioned due to his weight
- David Griffin says Williamson has been in the gym more than ever before this offseason
- Griffin also revealed that Zion has spent much of the offseason in New Orleans
Zion Williamson has been in the New Orleans Pelicans’ gym more this offseason than at any other point, says David Griffin, executive vice president of basketball operations. Griffin was at the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation Quarterback Club luncheon, where he spoke about his star forward.
“I can tell you Zion Williamson has been in our gym more than he has in his entire career in the offseason,” Griffin said. “He has been in New Orleans virtually all offseason, which is different.”
It’s great that he has realized he needs to spend more time working on his body. The 23-year-old put up great numbers in the 2022-23 season, averaging 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game, but if he can’t stay on the court, it doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things.
Zion only played 29 games in the 2022-23 campaign, and this was after he missed the whole of the 2021-22 season with injury. The alarm bells probably started to ring in his head that he had to take things up a notch.
I believe that part of him spending a lot of his time in New Orleans is noteworthy as well. Zion’s commitment to the Pelicans has often been called into question, and his future with the franchise seemed very uncertain earlier this offseason.
Previously, reports stated that Zion has no relationship with the Pelicans, but his spending basically all of his time in New Orleans suggests he is committed to the cause. That’s great news for the Pelicans, as they hope to get back to the playoffs.
Zion Williamson’s Plans For The Offseason
It was clear after last season, that Williamson had to make some changes in his offseason regiment. Whatever he was doing in the past wasn’t working all that well, as he had only managed to play 114 games in four seasons.
So what has he changed? Well, Zion revealed he is following LeBron James’ blueprint to get in shape this offseason. The emphasis will be more on flexibility, as opposed to just losing a lot of weight, and the two-time All-Star believes it’ll help him stay on the court for longer.
Williamson is also focused on ensuring his body is prepared for a long season and seems desperate to turn things around. Will all this work? Well, only time will tell.
How Good Can The Pelicans Be With A Healthy Zion?
It’s crazy to think just how much things have changed for the Pelicans in a year. Think back to the last offseason, and they seemed to be somewhat of a sleeper pick to contend for the title.
They had made the playoffs despite Zion missing the whole season, and the expectation was that his return would propel them to the top of the West. That did end up happening as well, as the Pelicans sat atop the standings in the Conference earlier in the season.
Then, injuries started piling up, with Brandon Ingram and Williamson missing time. With both their stars spending much of the season on the sidelines, the Pelicans stumbled to a 42-40 record. They were the ninth seed and were eliminated from playoff contention by the Oklahoma City Thunder in their first play-in game.
It’s a big if, but if this team stays relatively injury-free, they can be really good in 2023-24. We all know how good Ingram and Williamson are, but they’ve got a pretty good supporting cast in CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, and Jonas Valanciunas. If Zion can be the dominant force that he is capable of being, I can see them as a big factor in the West.
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