NBA Insider gives bold take about Pelicans high-flyer, two-time All-Star

Media members have been making bold predictions for the year ahead of the 2024-25 regular season.

On Thursday, a well-respected NBA insider praised a New Orleans Pelicans phenom and two-time All-Star.

“Everyone around the Pelicans believe he’s (Zion Williamson) primed for a big season,” ESPN’s Shams Charania said on Thursday. “A lot of that is because in past years, at this point in training camp or early in the season, there’s always been an injury, there’s always been something with Zion Williamson where he hasn’t been up to snuff; he hasn’t been at the same level as all his teammates as far as conditioning and where he is physically."

"Now, he’s not playing himself into conditioning, he’s already in shape, he looks great, he’s focused and he’s ready to go. That is a Zion Williamson that we have not seen over the course of an entire season. He worked with the Pelicans staff for all summer and that was very important for him and very important for the Pelicans. That’s not something he’s done in past offseasons. There hasn’t been a single NBA season where he’s come into training camp and looked this dominant in the eyes of the Pelicans.”

Last season, Williamson averaged 22.9 points and 5.8 rebounds in 70 games for the Pelicans. He poured in 40 points against the Los Angeles Lakers in the No. 7 vs. No. 10 Western Conference Play-In game but failed to finish the contest due to a nagging lower-body injury.

Williamson has experienced moderate success in the NBA as a former No. 1 overall pick, but he’s struggled to stay on the floor through four seasons. The powerful downhill attacker and human pogo stick has missed over 100 games since getting drafted by New Orleans in 2019.

After sitting out the entire 2021-22 season to rehab a right foot fracture he suffered during the offseason, Williamson signed a five-year, $193 million rookie extension with the Pelicans. Unfortunately, a hamstring injury sidelined the two-time All-Star for 53 games during New Orleans’ 2022-23 campaign.

Coming into the 2024-25 season, Williamson looks slimmer than ever and could be due for his most productive season as a professional. He netted 16 points on 72.7% shooting from the field while snagging eight rebounds in the Pelicans’ preseason opener against the Orlando Magic.

If Williamson makes it through an entire season and plays up to his potential in Year 5, there’s a good chance he’ll have a tremendous year in New Orleans.

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