New Orleans Pelicans

36-46, lost in conference first-round series

Overview: Zion Williamson’s return to a Pelicans squad that made a captivating postseason appearance without him last spring could transform New Orleans’ long-beleaguered NBA franchise into a marquee team. Soon, the basketball world will see if the reality lives up to the hype.“Winning for the first time when you have expectations is a big deal, and I think this is the first time the external expectations have reached what our own internal expectations have been,” Pelicans basketball operations chief David Griffin said.“We’re going to learn a lot about this group.” Since being drafted first overall out of Duke in 2019, Williams has missed more games than he has played because of knee and foot injuries. But his potential for superstardom has been apparent. In the first 85 games of his NBA career, he has shot better than 60% and averaged nearly 26 points per game. Williamson was an All-Star in his second season, when he played 61 games and averaged 27 points. A broken foot and related setbacks sidelined him last season. But the 22-year-old says he’s fit as ever as he joins a lineup that includes prolific wing Brandon Ingram, high-scoring veteran guard CJ McCollum, sharpshooting center Jonas Valanciunas and defensive dynamo Herb Jones.

Quote: “We have a very special group,”Williamson said. “Everybody saw that last year.”