The New Orleans Pelicans are looking to at least threaten for a playoff spot in the loaded Western Conference, which is no small undertaking considering how much change the team underwent this past year or so. Gone are Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray remains on the shelf with a ruptured Achilles, and coming in is Jordan Poole to be the team's lead point guard.
But at the end of the day, the Pelicans' contending dreams will be hinging on the health of Zion Williamson, who has played in over 70 games in a single season thus far in his career.
Williamson's talent is never called into question, as he has skill in spades. He has even expanded his playmaking game, becoming the all-around force that the Pelicans envisioned when they drafted him first overall in 2019. He continues to tantalize with his untapped potential, and during their Tuesday night preseason clash against the Houston Rockets, Williamson only needed one play to show the NBA world just how big of a superstar he can be if he manages to avoid the injury bug.
Zion Williamson drives through THREE defenders for the tough bucket 😤
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 15, 2025
The Pelicans star is never going to be the marksman from beyond the arc that he teased he could be when he drilled all those threes during his NBA debut. But Williamson continues to be a literal force of nature; he has so much speed and strength despite being listed at 6'6″ and 284 lbs., and he can make even the best defenders in the league look like children, bouncing off of them as he powers his way to the basket.
Williamson's play style doesn't help him stay healthy at all. But perhaps coming into this new season with a slighter frame would help his body withstand the grind of an 82-game regular season.
Can Pelicans make noise in the loaded Western Conference?
The Pelicans, presumably, will be rolling with a starting lineup of Poole, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Williamson, and Yves Missi. That starting lineup has plenty of talent, especially with Murphy breaking out into a legitimate high-caliber three-level scorer who put up over 21 points a night last season.
Their depth, however, is a bit questionable. Their two lottery picks in this year's draft, Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, appear to be a long ways away from contributing consistently. The Pelicans will be relying on Saddiq Bey, Jose Alvarado, and Jordan Hawkins to provide consistent production off the bench. Will that be enough for them to compete in the stacked West?
