Although he's yet to make his return from knee surgery, Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin claims that Zion Williamson is “better than he was in the preseason,” according to a report from Shamit Dua of Bourbon Street Shots.
David Griffin: "Every objective measure, Zion is better than he was better than the preseason"
Talks about how subjective measures are different
— Shamit Dua (@FearTheBrown) January 15, 2020
Griffin's comment about Zion being better than the preseason is interesting, as he was playing well. The Pelicans rookie made four appearances, racking up averages of 23.3 points on 71.4 percent shooting from the field, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals in 27.3 minutes per outing.
Williamson is nearing a return. The former Duke standout is expected to make his season debut on Jan. 22 against the San Antonio Spurs, according to a report from ESPN. The Pelicans would like for him to go through a few more practice sessions before then, and the team will likely take a cautious approach with his minutes once cleared.
Pelicans want two more practices – 17th and 19th. Pels play on the road on the 20th. Debut set against to come against the Spurs next week if all goes according to plan. https://t.co/wJB28AVmYF
— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) January 15, 2020
Whether or not Williamson is indeed better than he was in the preseason, as Griffin claims, will have to be determined at a later date. Either way, it's great news for the NBA that he will play.
The Pelicans will be back in action on Thursday night, when they'll serve as hosts to the Utah Jazz. Tip-off inside the Smoothie King Center is set for 8:00 p.m. ET. New Orleans has won three of its last five, while Utah is riding an impressive 10-game winning streak.
Follow Us
Subscribe