Shams: Pelicans Think Zion Williamson Ready for Breakout 2024-25 NBA Season | News, scores, highlights, stats and rumors

The New Orleans Pelicans have been waiting for Zion Williamson to fulfill his full potential since selecting him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft.

They believe it will happen this season.

“Everyone around the Pelicans believes he is primed for a big season,” ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Thursday. Pat McAfee Show (2:35). “A lot of that is because over the last few years there has always been an injury at this point in training camp or early in the season. There’s always been something about Zion Williamson where he hasn’t been able to sniff, he’s not really on the same level as any of his teammates in terms of conditioning and where he is physically.

“Now he’s not playing himself with conditioning, he’s already in great shape. He looks great, he’s focused, he’s ready to go. And that’s a Zion Williamson we haven’t seen yet.”

Injuries have long been a concern surrounding the Duke product.

He played just 24 games as a rookie and missed his third season in the league due to a foot injury. While he played just 29 games in 2022-23, he has a career-high 70 games in 2023-24.

Last season was filled with some ups and downs as he played so many games but failed to make the All-Star Game and averaged 22.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. The scoring total was his lowest since he was a rookie, and the rebounding number was the lowest average of his career.

Additionally, he missed the team’s first-round loss due to a hamstring injury.

But the build-up to this season suggests he will make significant progress.

“He worked with the Pelicans staff all summer, and that was very important to him and very important to the Pelicans,” Charania said. “That’s not something he’s done in recent offseasons. There hasn’t been a single NBA season where he’s come into training camp looking so dominant in front of the Pelicans.”

Charania also explained New Orleans’ plans to play Williamson in a “hybrid” role that is somewhat “positionless” and designed to maximize his talents.

At his best, Williamson can be a double-double machine, overpowering defenders on the blocks, controlling the boards and even making plays as a ball handler and facilitator. Getting that version of the two-time All-Star would be a huge boost for a New Orleans team looking to make a splash in a loaded Western Conference.

The Pelicans advanced to the playoffs last season but were swept in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder with Williamson sidelined with the injury.

If he is healthy and playing at a different level, the ceiling would be higher for a team already loaded with potential.