The New Orleans Pelicans have had a disastrous 2024-25 campaign filled with injuries but have picked up their slack recently. The Pelicans have won four of their last six games but still sit in 14th place in the West with a 17-45 record.
The Pelicans suffered a crushing 136-115 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, but New Orleans star Zion Williamson shined. Williamson dropped a game-high 37 points on 17-23 shooting.
The former first-overall pick and two-time NBA All-Star has the talent to be one of the league's top players, but injuries have severely held him back. Williamson has already missed 38 games this season and has reached that mark in four of his six years in the NBA.
After his 37-point outing in LA on Tuesday, 17-year NBA veteran and three-time Sixth Man of the Year winner Lou Williams sent a strong message to Williamson.
"He looks like he's in great shape," Williams said about Williamson. "He's still flying and still putting a lot of pressure on the rim... Just be healthy, be consistent, and continue to build. Once we get to a place, then we can start worrying about accolades."
Is Zion Williamson a top-10 player in the NBA when healthy? 👀🤔
"He looks like he's in great shape. He's flying and putting a lot of pressure on the rim." - @TeamLou23@MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/KzgIsjYSnt
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) March 5, 2025
Right now, we just want you to be consistent and continue on," Williams continued. "Just be a positive influence on the team that you're playing for. We don't know what the future holds, but as long as you're a New Orleans Pelican, we love to see you in uniform."
Through 24 games this season, Williamson is averaging 24.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.2 assists, while shooting 57.3% from the field. While Williamson and many other Pelicans have dealt with injury concerns this season, all they can do now is try to stay healthy and build toward the future, but that starts with their two-time All-Star.
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