NBA Insider has a bold take on the Pelicans’ high-flyer, the two-time All-Star

Media members have made bold predictions for the year ahead of the 2024-25 regular season.

On Thursday, a respected NBA insider praised the New Orleans Pelicans phenom and two-time All-Star.

“Everyone on the Pelicans believes he (Zion Williamson) is primed for a big season,” ESPN’s Shams Charania said Thursday. “A lot of that is because in previous years, at this point in training camp or early in the season, there were always injuries, there was always something with Zion Williamson that he wasn’t able to handle; In terms of his conditioning and physical performance, he was not at the same level as all of his teammates.

“Now he’s not playing his way into conditioning, he’s already in shape, he looks great, he’s focused and he’s ready to go. This is a Zion Williamson we haven’t seen in an entire season. He worked with the Pelicans.” That was very important for him and the Pelicans. He hasn’t done that in recent seasons. There hasn’t been a single NBA season where he looked so dominant in the eyes of the Pelicans.”

Last season, Williamson averaged 22.9 points and 5.8 rebounds in 70 games for the Pelicans. He scored 40 points against the Los Angeles Lakers in the No. 7 play-in game against No. 10 of the Western Conference, but was unable to finish the contest due to a nagging lower-body injury.

Williamson had moderate success as a former No. 1 overall pick in the NBA, but struggled to stay on the floor for four seasons. The powerful downhill attacker and human pogo stick has missed over 100 games since being signed by New Orleans in 2019.

After sitting out the entire 2021-22 season to rehab a fractured right foot he suffered during the offseason, Williamson signed a five-year, $193 million rookie extension with the Pelicans. Unfortunately, a hamstring injury sidelined the two-time All-Star for 53 games during the 2022-23 season in New Orleans.

Heading into the 2024-25 season, Williamson looks leaner than ever and could be having his most productive season as a pro. He scored 16 points on 72.7% shooting from the field and grabbed eight rebounds in the Pelicans’ season opener against the Orlando Magic.

If Williamson can last a full season and reach his potential in year five, there’s a good chance he’ll have a great year in New Orleans.

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