The New Orleans Pelicans have been playing some improved basketball of late, with Dejounte Murray recently returning from an Achilles injury and the team slowly but surely working its way up the standings. Arguably the most surprising development over the last couple of months for New Orleans has been the ability of Zion Williamson to stay on the court consistently.
Recently, Williamson got 100% honest on how he envisions the Pelicans' identity moving forward.
“We're building our own identity. We have dealt with injuries, coaching changes… Despite all that, our energy is still high, we have a positive locker room. It's not ‘What's next?” It's ‘How do we build from this?'” said Williamson, via ESPN, per Pelicans Film Room on X, formerly Twitter.
Injuries have sadly been a major part of Williamson's NBA story up to this point, with the former number one overall draft pick consistently being sidelined with various ailments, most of them pertaining to his legs.
When he's on the court, Williamson remains a terror for opposing defenses, able to relentlessly attack the basket and finish at the rim, as well as being a menace on the offensive glass.
However, the frequent leg injuries throughout his career have threatened to derail the athleticism that was once his signature attribute, and he has missed the majority of multiple seasons thus far in his career.
Still, it's certainly a positive sign that he has been able to stay on the court consistently since the calendar flipped over to 2025-26, although it remains unclear if the Pelicans' front office, which recently traded a likely 2026 lottery pick in exchange for fellow big man Derik Queen, still views Williamson as part of the team's long term plans.
In any case, the Pelicans are next slated to take the floor on Tuesday evening for a road game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
