Pelicans star Zion Williamson wants to put the league on notice for this upcoming NBA season. The All-Star forward, who has been hampered by injuries since being taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, is entering the upcoming season with a new mindset.
“I’m out for straight vengeance,” Williamson said via The Athletic. “Not against any particular person. Just for myself.”
Williamson ended last season with another injury, this time a hamstring strain that kept him out of the Pelicans first-round playoff series against the Thunder (New Orleans got swept). It was the latest crushing moment in a career that has been bogged down by countless injuries. When Williamson’s healthy, he’s one of the best and most unstoppable players in the league. But over the years his availability has never been a constant, and when he is healthy, he’s been criticized for not being in shape. There have been reports over the years of Williamson not doing enough during his rehab process to ensure that he can come back fully healthy, a point he has butted heads about with the organization.
But after years of injuries, criticisms and even trade rumors, it sounds like Williamson is ready to fully commit himself to the upcoming season.
“I want to be one of them ones,” Williamson said. “I’ve been talking about it and I’ve been making mistakes (along the way). “That stuff can’t happen. It’s time to take every game personal.”
The turning point for Williamson was the In-Season Tournament semifinals performance against the Lakers in December, in which Williamson mustered just 13 points in a 44-point loss. Williamson was heavily criticized for appearing out of shape and disinterested, but it served as a rock bottom moment for the Pelicans star.
“(The In-Season Tournament loss) was definitely one of the key turning points in the season, and honestly, for me as a man in my career,” Williamson said. “I’m watching (LeBron James) out here on the court, doing what he’s doing. I’m telling myself I want to be a player that has a high level of greatness — one of the greats. In that big moment, I didn’t show up. It hit me while the game was going on. I just looked up and said, ‘I didn’t show up.’ I don’t have any excuse.”
The Pelicans did get back on track after that embarrassing loss, eventually claiming the last playoff spot in the West. But it came at the expense of another injury to Williamson. But the version of Williamson we got at the end of last season was far different from the one in December, who didn’t look like he was at his peak performance.
From the sounds of it, we should expect to see more of the Williamson that almost single-handedly led the Pelicans to a comeback win against the Lakers in a Play-In Tournament game in April with 40 points. If Williamson can sustain that level of play, and ensure he’s staying committed to being in shape and taking care of his body, then it wouldn’t be crazy to see him in the MVP conversation at some point this season.
