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A recent ranking of the top NBA players by ESPN was released to the public. Williamson found himself at 40th overall. While some basketball fans believe that ranking is a little low, NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins said that he had no problem with it.
"You know what? I don't have a problem with it because we haven't seen enough of Zion. Not in the small sample size. He showed us that he could be real dominance. But we gotta see health. We gotta see health. I have no problem with Zion being ranked 40.
"Look, it's not the end of the world. He's still top 50. I think he will prove a lot of people wrong. I think he will show a lot of people that he's healthy. But I'm going to say this. This is the right number for him. Number 40, I agree with this."
The New Orleans Pelicans are hoping to make some serious noise in the 2022-23 season, especially with a potentially healthy Zion Williamson. Throughout his young career in the NBA, Williamson has shown the potential to be a dominant force. The former first-overall selection has dazzled basketball fans with his explosiveness.
New Orleans had an impressive second half of the 2021-22 regular season. Whether or not they can capitalize upon this further will all come down to whether Williamson can remain healthy. While he has been remarkable with his play on the hardwood, he's struggled to stay off the sidelines. After missing the entire 2021-22 season because of an injury, the hope is that Williamson can finally stay fit.
Zion Williamson looks to bounce back with New Orleans Pelicans in upcoming season
Zion Williamson has shown the potential to become one of the top players in the NBA. The problem is that he's only played in a total of 85 games in three seasons. If Zion can return to the court and stay healthy, New Orleans could become a legit contender in the Western Conference.
With the likes of Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum in the mix, the Pelicans have the firepower to go toe-to-toe with other teams. Add in the impressive amount of young talent on the roster, and the Pelicans could be legitimate threats.
In his last season with the Pelicans, Zion Williamson averaged 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 61.1% from the field.
