The New Orleans Pelicans look like a true contender and Zion Williamson is back. The Western Conference is certainly taking notice of the Pelicans right now. Williamson was fantastic during Tuesday's 104-91 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, leading New Orleans with 28 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and one steal. He also had a jaw-dropping alley-oop dunk in the win.
ZION WILLIAMSON SOARS FOR THE ALLEY-OOP 🎆pic.twitter.com/ISmy4KngvK
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 20, 2024
Williamson made Pelicans history on Tuesday as well, according to Justin Kubatko.
“Williamson has scored at least 25 points on 60% shooting from the field in five straight games, the longest such streak in @PelicansNBA history,” Kubatko wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Zion Williamson looks excellent right now. Perhaps his weight loss, as he reportedly lost at least 25 pounds since December, is playing a role.
“I’ve got people in New Orleans telling me that since December, when the In-Season Tournament happened, that Zion Williamson has lost 25 or more pounds and his performance has been excellent,” NBA insider Brian Windhorst said recently on The Hoop Collective, via NBACentral.
Zion Williamson displaying MVP-caliber potential
When Williamson entered the NBA, people around the league believed he was destined to become the next great superstar. Williamson made his first NBA All-Star team during his second season with the Pelicans.
He displayed that aforementioned potential, averaging 27 points and 7.2 rebounds per outing. However, Williamson missed all of 2021-22 with an injury. He then made his second All-Star team in 2022-23, but was limited to just 29 games due to injury.
Injuries happen. There is no denying that fact. Still, there were analysts around the NBA who felt that Williamson could help himself out by getting in better shape.
He's reportedly done exactly that and has appeared in 57 games so far during the 2023-24 campaign. His numbers are impressive, albeit not spectacular. But Williamson is heating up right now.
Overall, he is averaging 22.7 points per game on 58.4 percent field goal shooting. Williamson is also recording 5.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 0.9 steals per contest.
The Pelicans would surely love to see the rebounding numbers improve. Nevertheless, Williamson is playing well at the moment.
Looking ahead
The Pelicans are in fifth place in the Western Conference. They are 5.5 games behind the first place Oklahoma City Thunder. New Orleans is in a good position to at least clinch a playoff spot, as opposed to a play-in position.
They will have even better odds of making a serious run in the Western Conference if Zion Williamson continues to play up to his full potential. When he's going right, Williamson can be one of the best players in the NBA.
The Pelicans will try to maintain their momentum moving forward. They will battle a pair of talented Eastern Conference teams during their next two games, however, as New Orleans will play the Orlando Magic on Thursday and the Miami Heat on Friday.
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