Zion Williamson's summer body has New Orleans Pelicans fans stunned

The smart NBA fan knows to be wary of a certain stories and rumors that break out in the midst of the dog days of the league's offseason. A new follower might fall for workout videos showing big men throwing together dribble combos in an open gym, a non-shooter knocking down a dozen wide-open triples in a row, or trade rumors born out of several layers of aggregation and misreads, but a sage veteran will know how to navigate the dangerous waters of NBA summer content.

One of the most misleading forms of offseason news are "leaked" photos or videos from a player's workout, showing either drastic weight loss or immense gains. These leaks inspire hope in a fanbase – hope that a notoriously slow-footed defender can improve their lateral agility, hope that an oft exhausted player can maintain their production for 40 minutes a game, hope that an injury magnet will be able to manage a full season with their new and improved body.

For the New Orleans Pelicans and Zion Williamson, the hope has always been that Zion will slim it down in the summer, and return a beast, capable of reaching his unfathomable athletic ceiling. He's always been a physical anomaly; one whose mass and width have always fooled spectators into underestimating his speed and explosiveness. At his peak, though, he was Herculean, a tank sculpted out of pure marble and muscle. In his NBA career, through a combination of injury rehab and New Orleans cajun cooking, he's been more like a grizzly bear – deceptively fluffy but packing a lethal punch. The extra pounds haven't stopped him from being an elite force in the league, but it's been highly speculated that Zion hasn't been able to reach his full potential, partly because of his weight in the past. Well, this next season might finally be the year the world finds out exactly what he's capable of at his athletic peak.

Zion Williamson is leading the New Orleans Pelicans by example

Coming into the league, Zion was essentially the NBA's first "Gen-Z" superstar. He was a blueblood prospect who dominated at Duke University, a talent that most of the basketball world had been following since he was a sophomore in high school. Through the power of YouTube and social media, Zion was a household name in NBA circles before he even played his first college game.

Because of this, Zion had to deal with celebrity and pressure beyond his years. He entered the league a wunderkind and a prodigy with massive expectations thrust upon him, especially since his arrival in New Orleans came directly after Anthony Davis's departure. Despite the massive pressure placed upon him, Zion was able to shoulder the load, at least when he was healthy. But, his individual stardom didn't translate into team wins, leading the Pelicans to try to surround him with more talent.

One of the pieces that the front office brought in to help was CJ McCollum, who not only adds a steady ballhandler and perimeter scorer to the team, but also brings a veteran presence to guide Zion, Brandon Ingram, and the rest of the Pelicans' young stars.

CJ's impact has been palpable, as New Orleans has made the playoffs twice in his three years there, the only two appearances the Pelicans have made in the Zion era. But for the Pelicans to reach their full potential, their leader has to be Zion, both on and off the court.

Since he's been dominant since his rookie year and the world has been following him since he was a teenager, it can be easy to forget that he's still only 24 years old. Getting serious about his body and his health at this age wouldn't be an outlier story in any way. In fact, it's almost a rite of passage for the NBA's superstars, and it's usually followed by a sudden leap in team success. For example, see Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, and Luka Doncic.

According to Yahoo Sports, Zion has clocked in at 281 pounds this summer, which is below his Duke playing weight. For him, this could mean a lot more than a bit of added agility. A truly slim and cut Zion could mean a defensive return to the player that he was at Duke, an anti-artillery system that could shut down entire offenses singlehandedly. It could mean that his high-flying highlights and mind-bending finishes at the rim will come even more often. Most importantly, it could mean that he'll be able to replicate his 70-game season from last year and sustain that his health and production through a deep playoff run.

It could also mean that for the first time in his career, Zion will be New Orleans's leader both in terms of on-court output and in the locker room. In an interview with TimeoutSPORTS3, he disclosed that the motivation behind his weight loss was to "win it all." If the rest of the Pelicans follow his lead, it could be wraps for the rest of the league.