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In the four seasons that Zion Williamson has played in the NBA, he has established himself as an absolute force at the half-court when healthy. However, there lies the problem for the New Orleans Pelicans forward, his health status has not been consistent as he has only played over 114 games in his career.
With a full offseason to recover from his hamstring injury, Williamson has looked better than ever without losing a single step from his athletic self.
As the Pelicans are in a preseason game against the Orlando Magic, Zion Williamson showed flashes of what's in store for the upcoming season, from quick bursts to explosive finishes. His highlight reel from the first half of the game was uploaded via X.
Besides his 16-point first-half outing, Zion Williamson's defensive growth was also put on display as he racked up five steals and two blocks. This is obviously a great sign for Pelicans fans not just for the star forward's health status but also for the strides he has taken with his game.
However, a number of NBA fans were left unimpressed with what they saw from the two-time All-Star.
One fan said:
"Say this every year."
From the comments, some of the fans are seemingly already setting themselves up for disappointment after experiencing inconsistency with Williamson's availability.
Be that as it may, the Pelicans star has shown his commitment to getting back on the court despite his history of injuries. That alone is enough for fans to remain optimistic about him.
Zion Williamson talked about his mentality when it came to working out
With the start of the 2023-24 regular season happening in just a few days, Williamson previously talked about his workout process in an interview with Jake Madison on the "Locked on Pelicans" podcast:
"Continuing to work on [my body]," Williamson said. "Not just making it an offseason thing, continuing it into the season and further building my relationship with the Pelicans as well and letting them know that I trust them."
Transitioning one's workout process from the offseason to the regular season can lead to promising results, especially for a player such as Williamson. During the 2022-23 season, the Pelicans star put up 26.0 points (60.8% shooting, including 36.8% from 3-point range), 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.
Before he went down with a hamstring injury last season, the New Orleans Pelicans were first in the Western Conference standings in December. Now with a new season starting next week, Williamson and the Pelicans can bounce back by bringing some of that winning energy with them.
