In order to be real threats in the Western Conference, the New Orleans Pelicans need all of their star players healthy and available. This not only pertains to Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, but it is especially relevant to Zion Williamson, who made his preseason debut on Tuesday night in New Orleans.
Playing for the first time since January 2 when he suffered a hamstring injury, Zion took the floor for the Pelicans and looked like the two-time All-Star everyone knows him to be. In a total of 15 minutes, Williamson scored 12 points on 4-8 shooting, also adding five rebounds and five assists to his name as well. All around, this was a really solid showing for Williamson due to the fact that he was able to get back out on the court and contribute.
Zion looked healthy and he looked explosive, especially when attacking his opponents in one-on-one situations. Due to the attention he draws when attacking the paint, Williamson was able to show off his playmaking abilities, finding open teammates for open threes and showing poise with the ball in his hands when the defense put pressure on him.
At one point, the Pelicans All-Star he looked to back down Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero and fought through contact by both him and Wendell Carter Jr. on his way to an “and-one” finish at the rim. He was aggressive, he did not stray away from contact, and Williamson looked a lot more athletic than he has in previous seasons.
Overall, this was a really impressive performance for Williamson after not taking the court in an actual game for nearly nine months. Now, the question becomes whether or not Zion can maintain his health and continue to remain in basketball shape over the course of the season.
Pelicans reaction from Zion Williamson's preseason debut
Everyone within the Pelicans organization cannot be happier to have Williamson back on the court. His presence means a lot and without him, New Orleans struggled to find success last season.
When at full strength, the Pelicans know that they can be a real threat in the West, which is why having Zion available and healthy is their main priority. He may have only played 15 minutes in his preseason debut, but the fact that Williamson showed no signs of limitation is a major step in the right direction.
Even though some stars around the league sit out of preseason games due to the fact that they are meaningless and add risk to injury, New Orleans wants their young star playing because he has missed so much time through the years. Being in shape and getting into a groove on the court will help prevent future injuries to Williamson.
After the game, head coach Willie Green addressed this notion, claiming that the only way for Zion to get better and maintain his clean bill of health is to continue to play.
“You can condition. You can lift. You can do a ton of cardio,” Green said after the game, via Pelicans reporter Christian Clark. “But the best basketball shape is to play basketball.”
While his 15 minutes may seem lower than usual, Williamson played just about the same amount of time as the rest of the team's starters, with center Jonas Valanciunas seeing the most time on the floor at 19 total minutes. Zion saw about eight minutes of action in the first quarter, scoring seven of his 12 total points in the opening quarter. Looking to attack and staying aggressive from the opening tip, the Pelicans have a lot to be happy about from this preseason opener.
“He looked good,” Green continued when discussing Williamson's debut. “He does what he does. He gets on the floor. He creates contact. His gravity creates open looks. Like I said, I thought the first half looked pretty solid for us.”
As far as how the Pelicans' star is feeling, Williamson has been saying all throughout training camp that he is in the best shape he's been in since entering the league. This was on display Tuesday night against Orlando. When asked after the game how he felt, Zion kept things short and sweet, claiming that he's “just playing basketball.”
When healthy, Williamson has been one of the best players in the entire league, averaging 25.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while shooting 60.5 percent from the floor in 114 total games. Zion's next chance to play in the preseason will be on October 12 against the Houston Rockets.
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