The time to buy Zion Williamson stock is now after his motivated media day quote

The New Orleans Pelicans find themselves in the same place they’ve been for the majority of the Zion Williamson era: a team that will only go as far as their star takes them.

Heading into his eighth season in the NBA, the former No. 1 overall pick has struggled to reach and maintain the incredible ceiling many expected when he entered the league. But after the second most healthy season of his NBA career and what has been described by his peers as a strong offseason, it may be time for Z to finally be who he was supposed to be. ​

At media day, Zion was asked to reflect on whether he was where he wanted to be in his NBA career, and his answer was rather simple. "I am not where I want to be... I am just not where I need to be, and I'm not where I want to be.”

With a clearly improved physique, a healthy last campaign in his back pocket, and this potentially being his last shot at being the guy for the Pelicans, the time to buy Zion stock is now.

Is it time to reinvest in Z?

To me, him talking about how he has come up short on expectations at this point in his career signals a desire and motivation to be great this season like we may have never seen in him with the Pelicans. He has the support system behind him in Joe Dumars, who has gone up to bat for him every chance he’s had since taking the reins in New Orleans. And a coach in Jamahl Mosley, known for empowering his stars and emphasizing accountability, particularly on the defensive end, an area fans want to see him be better in.

We know that this team has playoff aspirations, as Dumars literally said at media day, “we'd like to be a playoff team,” and to do that they need the best version of Z, and he knows that. Given the infrastructure they’ve tried to build around him and the work we’ve seen him putting in online this season, fans should feel confident Zion is going to give it his all for a playoff berth.

Am I personally buying into the idea that Zion is going to start drilling jumpers the way Dumars was talking about him doing during his media availability? No, not really. But am I buying that Z is motivated to win with this team because it may be his last shot to win in New Orleans? Yes. Am I buying that the idea of a long-term extension looming will make him want to play and be great this year? Yes. And am I buying that his health last year wasn’t a fluke and his body is in a better place today than it was, say, two or three years ago? Yes, I am.

If things go right and he can finally piece it all together and have the type of season everyone has been waiting for, New Orleans gets what they’ve been waiting on: a star leading a playoff push and clarity on what the future looks like. If it doesn’t, but Zion looks like the star everyone thought he could be, Dumars will have more than enough leverage with improved health and star-level production to move him for a big return.

For years, buying stock in Zion has been the riskiest game on Bourbon Street. This time feels different. He’s clearly motivated, has a strong support system, and is in even better shape than last year, when he played 62 games. So, before this penny stock turns into a Benjamin Franklin stock, I would invest.

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