The New Orleans Pelicans might not have anything left to play for in the 2024-25 NBA season, but, apparently, no one's passed that message along to Zion Williamson. In fact, he may have just cost them some valuable lottery odds by leading them to their 14th win of the season, this one against the San Antonio Spurs, 114-96.
He finished a game-high +23, but it was actually a quieter game for Zion. He finished with just 22 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, going 8-17 from the field. It was on defense where he really did his damage, racking up a combined four steals and blocks.
The Pelicans might be having by far their worst season in recent memory, but Williamson has quietly put together one of the best campaigns of his career thus far, albeit on only 20 games played so far. On the year, he's put up 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists a night while shooting 55 percent overall. These numbers suggest that Zion Williamson has really started to come into his own, but a recent report confirms that he's entering his prime as a basketball player.
Zion Williamson's new commitment to his conditioning shows he's entering his prime
It's easy to forget that Zion Williamson is still just 24 years old. He's been in the league six years now and has been a household name and a dominant force in the NBA his entire tenure, so he carries the same presence and aura that a 10+ year veteran does, but, in reality, he's two full years younger than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
It can take several years for an NBA player to take the leap. Zion was so good, so soon that his pundits and detractors were expecting him to turn that corner immediately, and every season he didn't was a waste and a failure from him. This scrutiny came for him even though he had to deal with countless injuries and play on rosters that actively held him back from reaching his full potential.
This season was supposed to be different for Zion. He did all the right things in the year before, the 2023-24 campaign. He stayed healthy, finishing with 72 regular season games played. He took his team to the NBA Cup semifinals and dragged New Orleans back into the playoffs. He gave interviews and spoke about how he was tired of losing and was ready to take the next step in his career. Then, over the summer, he got in shape, rumoredly dropping all the way to his college weight.
Unfortunately, injuries again ripped away the Pelicans' playoff hopes for this year and spoiled Zion's season of revenge. That hasn't stopped him from dominating every chance he gets though. ESPN's Michael C. Wright recently reported that Big Z weighed in at just 264 pounds, his lowest mark since arriving in New Orleans.
He's been notably slimmer and more energetic and agile on the court, so there's no reason to doubt this news. Zion keeping the weight off, despite all of the Pelicans' struggles and him missing multiple large chunks of the season due to injury, is a testament to his renewed conviction for winning basketball and might also be a sign that he's entering his physical prime. Williamson has clearly leveled up this year, evidenced by both his box scores and his weigh-ins. Now, the Pelicans need to ensure that they take full advantage of his prime and give him a winning roster every year he remains in New Orleans.