The New Orleans Pelicans are still living with the same Zion Williamson question they’ve had for most of his time in the league: how far can this team go if he’s the one steering it?
Williamson is heading into his eighth NBA season, and the promise that came with being the No. 1 overall pick still hasn’t fully turned into the kind of sustained production people imagined when he entered the league. But after what was the second-most healthy season of his career and a summer that has been described by his peers as strong, there’s a real sense that this could be the year he finally starts looking like the version everyone has been waiting on.
That feeling only grew louder at media day, when Zion was asked to evaluate where he stands in his career. His answer was blunt: "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.”
Those words matter because they sound like a player who knows exactly how much is still out there for him. He’s showing up with a clearly improved physique, and he’s doing it with a healthy season behind him. Add in the possibility that this is his last real shot to be the face of the Pelicans, and the case for betting on him gets a lot stronger.
There’s also a structure around him now that looks built to squeeze the most out of him. Joe Dumars has already gone to bat for Williamson repeatedly since taking over in New Orleans, and Jamahl Mosley brings a coaching style that leans into star players while still demanding accountability, especially on defense, which remains an area fans want to see him sharpen.
The Pelicans have made their intentions plain, too. Dumars said at media day, “we'd like to be a playoff team,” and that goal runs straight through Williamson.
New Orleans can only get there with the best version of him, and he knows it. The work he’s been putting in online this season only adds to the belief that he’s taking that challenge seriously.
That doesn’t mean every part of the hype is easy to swallow. The idea that Zion is suddenly going to start drilling jumpers the way Dumars talked about in media availability?
That’s still a leap. But the bigger point is harder to ignore: he looks motivated to win, motivated by the chance that this may be his last run in New Orleans, and motivated by the possibility of a long-term extension hanging over the season.
There’s a path here where it all comes together. If Williamson finally puts the pieces in place, the Pelicans get the star-driven playoff push they’ve been waiting for, along with a clearer picture of what comes next. If it doesn’t fully click, but he still looks like the kind of star they’ve believed in, Dumars would have plenty of leverage with improved health and strong production to explore a move that brings back a major return.
For a long time, investing in Zion felt like one of the toughest bets in basketball. This time, the signs point in a different direction.
He’s motivated, he’s backed by a strong support system, and he’s in better shape than he was last season, when he played 62 games. That’s enough to make this the moment to buy in.
In Other News...
Pelicans Fans Just Got More Ways To Watch This Season
Pelicans fans will have a few more familiar voices and a few more viewing options when the season tips off. New Orleans announced its broadcast team for the upcoming year, keeping Joel Meyers and Antonio Daniels on the call, with Andrew Lopez back as sideline reporter and Kelly Crull and Kalia Butler joining the crew. On the radio side, WWL will again carry the games with Todd Graffagnini and John DeShazier.
The bigger change is on the distribution front, where the Pelicans will lean on the Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network as the main home for telecasts, with some games also set to air on FOX 8 and stream on Pelicans+ and Amazon Prime. For a fan base that has had to track down games across different platforms before, the range of options should make the season a little easier to follow, even as the full setup settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Zion Is Giving Pelicans Fans A Reason To Believe Again
Zion Williamson is giving Pelicans fans a familiar kind of offseason optimism, only this time theres a little more reason to take it seriously. Entering his seventh NBA season in New Orleans, he reportedly came into training camp at 271 pounds, lighter than the 284 pounds he has usually been listed at, and his trainer, Chris Chrisp, has been putting clips of his offseason work on display to back up the buzz.
The health piece still hangs over everything with Williamson, but last season offered the clearest sign yet of what the Pelicans can look like when he stays on the floor. He played a career-high 62 games, and if the improved conditioning translates into another durable year, New Orleans suddenly has a centerpiece who can change the mood around the franchise in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Still Have One Roster Problem That Could Sink Their Playoff Push
The Pelicans enter the season with the kind of top-end talent that can make the West interesting, and Jamahl Mosley arrives with a fresh voice on the sideline. But the fit still looks fragile. Trey Murphy III is one of the best spacing pieces on the roster, Zion Williamson changes how defenses load up, and the whole group has to find a cleaner way to blend scoring with structure if it wants to look like more than a collection of parts.
The bigger concern is that New Orleans still has obvious holes on both ends, especially with shooting and defense. The front office has made it clear more roster movement is expected, which only adds to the sense that the current mix is not quite finished. For a team trying to turn talent into a real playoff push, solving the balance issue may matter as much as any individual breakout. [Read more 🡒]