“He’s gonna buy the whole buffet now”, “He’s gonna be in the MVP convo”, “Most valuable Pelican maybe”, “Ben Simmons 2.0, highly overpaid to do absolutely nothing” - Fans divided as Zion Williamson agrees to a 5-year rookie max extension with the Pelicans

Zion Williamson is back on the basketball scene after missing out on the 2021-22 NBA season due to a foot injury. He is on track to reunite with Brandon Ingram and feature for the New Orleans Pelicans in the upcoming season.

The Pelicans forward has finally signed a maximum rookie extension deal with the franchise. The deal will see the one-time All-Star earn $193 million over a five-year period, with the potential to become $231 million.

Earlier, he had revealed that he was keen on signing the max deal, if offered by the Pelicans. But the franchise kept dragging their feet because there was some uncertainty regarding his commitment and readiness because of his weight gain. Fans have received the news with both hot and cold remarks.

Some fans strongly feel the 2019 first-overall draft pick is undeserving of a max deal as he has not done anything worth that. There was also the argument about him being injury prone and, as such, not available for the Pelicans.

"He’s proved absolutely nothing"

"lol what a fleecing. Mans is gonna play less than 200 career NBA games."

"bro got a max cuz some windmill dunks he had at duke"

"Ben Simmons 2.0 . Highly overpaid to do absolutely nothing."

Some fans referenced his weight gain, stating that his high-earning power would translate into more food to indulge his weight.

"He’s gonna buy the whole buffet now"

"Zion knowing he has 5 more years of Louisiana cooking"

"Damn I can make a quarter billion for being fat? Sign me up"

"Bro bouta buy all Louisiana food businesses"

Other fans, however, believe he will make a positive impact in the 2022-23 NBA season. While he has been associated with being the most valuable Pelicans player, he is also predicted to be among the 2023 MVP conversation.

"most valuable pelican maybe"

"Calling it now he’s gonna be in the MVP convo next season"

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How will Zion Williamson fare in the 2022-23 NBA season?

Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans stands on the court during the first quarter of an NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Smoothie King Center on March 15, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Zion Williamson had a great rookie season, finishing with an average of 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game and made the 2020 All-Rookie team. He shot 58.3% accuracy from the field with an average of 8.8 field goals made of 15 attempts per game.

His growth continued as expected in his sophomore season, where he averaged 27 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He made the All-Star team in his second year in the league and was an inspiration to his team. But he sustained a foot injury that has kept him off the court.

Having missed the entirety of the previous season, Zion Williamson has yet to feature in a competitive game since May 4, 2021. He will have a lot to prove in the coming season, especially after signing a max deal. He could lead the Pelicans to the playoffs with a Western Conference semifinals ceiling.