Zion Williamson has been the subject of much scrutiny for the majority of his young NBA career. How talking heads have contextualized their critique of his conditioning could be considered harsh at times. And it has been documented that some of it bothered the New Orleans Pelicans’ young superstar. But beginning last season, a shift began to happen. We witnessed the healthiest season of Williamson’s career thus far. Out of an available 82-game regular season, Williamson played 70 games. It was a career-high for him up until that point. Now with the NBA off-season coming to an end, it seems Zion has been hard at work.
A recent photo of the Pelicans’ forward shows him considerably leaner than we last saw him. To what I’m sure is the delight of his fans and team execs alike, it looks like Williamson took his discipline up a notch. A major concern many have for him is how injury-prone he can be, playing at a heavier weight. Medical staff and league professionals know that someone with an injury history has to be diligent about fitness.
Williamson is one of the most explosive players in the league. Who could forget his game in college where his sneaker blasted open due to his torque while going to the basket? The injury concerns we all have for him are well-founded. Someone of his talent level is primed to have a stellar hall-of-fame career. But that won’t happen without some longevity. As it’s said, your best ability sometimes is availability. And the more available Williamson can be for the Pelicans, the better chances of him succeeding at the highest level.
From the looks of things, he has vehemently responded positively to his critics. Of course, how he maintains throughout the season will tell the full story. But as of now, it seems he has gotten as serious as he has ever been about the trajectory of his career. And although it is his job to be at his best physically, it won’t hurt for the media at large to give him credit.
As a young man, I hope that he is encouraged to remain on this healthier path. He has an opportunity to bring basketball prominence to New Orleans. Something that they’ve been without since the days of “Pistol” Pete. with career averages of 27.7 points per game and 6.5 rebounds, prepare to see those numbers spike with some newfound speed and stamina. This may very well be the breakout season that we’ve all been waiting for with Williamson.
