The Comeback Kid
NEW Orleans power forward has always been an enigma ever since he broke into the public consciousness in his lone collegiate season in Duke. Expectations were high for Williamson who was built like a tank but had the speed and explosiveness of a sports car. Among his many accolades after his collegial stint were the ACC Athlete of the Year, AP Player of the Year and the Wayman Tisdale Award. It was a no-brainer for the New Orleans Pelicans to select him with their number one pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Since then, however, Williamson would suit up for a few games and tease fans with his All-NBA play only to succumb to an injury or two. In his first four seasons, the pattern became all too familiar and had everyone wondering if Zion could ever achieve his true potential. He would suffer an injury, gain weight, report back to the team out-of-shape, have a setback during rehabilitation and sit out more games.
From 2019 to 2023, Williamson only played 114 out of 246 games due to injuries, missing the whole of 2021-2022. Pictures of him bloated and overweight on the bench only added fuel to the burning questions — Does Zion have the focus and discipline to stay an NBA player or is he even serious about basketball? His embarrassing affairs with adult film star Moriah Mills further damaged his reputation, almost beyond repair back in late 2023.
This was a big disappointment for the Pelicans who signed Zion to a five-year, $197.2-million contract in July 2022 despite only playing 85 games at that point.
This led to many trade rumors, especially after the New Orleans Pelicans were blown out by the Los Angeles Lakers, 133-89, to reach the championship game in the first NBA In-Season Tournament last December. Zion was a no-show in that game scoring only 13 points, grabbing three rebounds and two assists. This led to more criticism on his leadership and enthusiasm in playing basketball.
That wake-up call looks to have served as a wake-up call to the troubled star. Since then, the Pelicans have been on a tear slowly rising up in the standings and now lead the Southwest Division by two games over the Dallas Mavericks with a 43-27 record. In their past 10 games, they have won eight and even have a shot at the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference which guarantees homecourt in the first round of the playoffs.
Their success has been anchored on the play of Williamson, who is now averaging nearly 23 points, six rebounds and five assists on 58 percent shooting on the field.
More importantly, he has played 58 game this season, the most since the 2020-2021 season. ESPN reported that Williamson has lost 25 pounds since that December loss to the Lakers, underscoring his commitment to get in better shape and help the Pelicans win.
The Pelicans now face a tough schedule since their next opponents include top-tier teams including the Oklahoma City Thunder, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns. These next few games will dictate if they are real playoff contenders or just pretenders.
And speaking of playoffs, the Pelicans are still in danger of getting into the Play-In Tournament since the conference race is very tight and still to be decided. If they make it, this will be Zion’s first playoff appearance, and he is expected to lead the charge as the Pelicans establish themselves as a playoff dark horse.
Winning a series or two would instantly turn Zion back into a hero since the team hasn’t won a playoff series since 2018. This is a pivotal moment in Zion’s career since a strong showing in the playoffs would erase all doubts and complete an improbable comeback. An early playoff exit could place his career in jeopardy. The Pelicans have waited five years for Zion to show up, and they’ve run out of patience.