“What do we have with Zion?” - Steve Nash piles pressure on Zion Williamson to play well for Pelicans

Zion Williamson surprised reporters early this month when he showed up for the New Orleans Pelicans’ media day. The former All-Star shed some weight to look much lighter than he has over the past few years. After another injury-hit campaign last season, Williamson seems ready to lead the Pelicans.

On the “Zach Lowe Show” on Thursday, two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash shared his thoughts on the expectations around Williamson (22:50 mark):

“The No. 1 thing is, what do we have with Zion? Is he gonna play well? Is he gonna be as dominant as we think? … A lot more will depend on Zion. There will be a lot of pressure on him, and those tires have worn out quickly in the past.”

Nash and host Zach Lowe are tempering their expectations on Zion Williamson. Last year, he was impressive in the preseason and performed quite well when healthy. “Zanos” averaged 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Injuries, however, cut his season short.

Williamson played just 30 games, the third time in five seasons he couldn’t push past that mark. The burly forward also sat out the entire 2021-22 campaign due to a broken foot.

The pressure is piling on Williamson to stay healthy and do well. He has yet to lead the Pelicans to the playoffs, even as the Pelicans continue to retool the roster around him.

As much as there is hope during the preseason, Steve Nash remains wary that Zion Williamson could not stay on the floor again.

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Zach Lowe contends Pelicans need “Point Zion” version of Zion Williamson to compete

The New Orleans Pelicans traded former mainstays CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram in separate deals in February. Without Dejounte Murray still recovering from an Achilles’ injury, the Pelicans’ backcourt could need a boost.

Instead of looking to add a veteran point guard, Zach Lowe offers an in-house solution for the Pelicans (23:50 mark):

“McCollum’s gone. Poole, I don’t think, is sort of a traditional point guard, let’s say. Murray’s hurt for some, maybe all, for the season. They’re gonna need ‘Point Zion’ more than they’ve ever needed. Ingram’s gone. ‘Point Zion’ has to be the focal point of the offense.”

Poole can also orchestrate the offense, but he is a natural shooting guard. Jose Alvarado is a point guard, but he has a limited offensive arsenal. Like Lowe said, Pelicans coach Willie Green might ask Zion Williamson to add playmaking to his already heavy load.