The New Orleans Pelicans are in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race, but the franchise has been playing things close to the vest. This upstart squad does not need any attention from the national media nor does it need to provide any rivals with bulletin board material. The social media team handles the trolling of Stephen A. Smith and Jimmy Butler. Zion Williamson and the rest of the locker room are focused only on the task at hand.
Smith's career stats were lambasted and old words returned to haunt Butler's Miami Heat. The Pelicans are on track for a special season that goes beyond just 50 regular season wins. This locker room has heard enough commentary on what-if scenarios over the past few what-could-have-been seasons. They are ready to earn some respect in the NBA Playoffs. Williamson shared his postseason goals after wrapping up a 3-1 road trip with a comfortable win over the Detroit Pistons.
“My answer is always gonna be the same,” Williamson stated bluntly. “I want to win. The coaches, my teammates, the organization, we all have the same mindset. We just want to win.”
The Pelicans (44-27) are in fifth place as they head home, tied in wins with the currently fourth-placed Los Angeles Clippers. New Orleans is 8-2 over the past 10 games, 18-6 since January 31 and 12-3 over the past 15 road games. Williamson knows it would be a blessing to have home-court advantage in the first round, but it will be a battle to the end.
“If we can get (fourth), that would be great,” Williamson allowed. “It would be great for the city and great for the team but you got to play the cards dealt to you. Wherever we land in the standings, we are going to make the most of it.”
The Pelicans cannot make the most of this season without Williamson playing up to his full All-NBA potential. Willie Green said the two-time All-Star is “stacking days” after the win in Detroit. The Duke alum elaborated a bit during his press availability.
“I feel great and I'm having fun. In terms of stacking my days, it's just doing all the little things. Recovery, extra recovery. Conditioning, and extra conditioning. And then in practice, bringing more intensity so that my body can be used to that,” Zion Williamson shared.
Williamson will tie a career-high in games played the next time he touches the court. He is just five games away from All-NBA eligibility. The Pelicans are 11 games away from having Williamson available for his first postseason game since being drafted in 2019.
New Orleans basketball fans are hoping to get used to that as well.
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