The Zion Williamson era of the New Orleans Pelicans has been rough, to say the least. The former No. 1 overall pick is an elite player in the NBA when he’s healthy, but he’s rarely healthy, which has been a persistent issue year after year.
Although Williamson’s health and ability to get into shape are always a concern for the Pelicans, head coach Willie Green might be seeing a different side of his superstar forward during this NBA offseason.
Zion Williamson is Turning Into a Leader for the Pelicans
According to Marc J. Spears of ESPN, who appeared on NBA Today, Williamson has impressed Green while playing in scrimmages with the Pelicans this offseason, displaying some leadership among his teammates.
“The day before I went fishing in New Orleans, I had dinner with Willie Green, and he talked in high esteem about Zion,” Spears said. “They were actually out here at Loyola Marymount University. The whole team working out and playing five-on-five. He said Zion looks great. Great shape, and he’s showing a lot more leadership.”
This is a great sign for the Pelicans, with the start of the 2025-26 NBA season just around the corner. An in-shape and motivated Williamson can be a game-changer for New Orleans, especially if the Pelicans are at full strength with Dejounte Murray back in the fold.
Pelicans Could be Sneaky Good in 2025-26 if Healthy
The Pelicans have never really had an opportunity to show what they can do with a fully healthy roster. Although teams can’t stay healthy throughout the grind of an 82-game season, New Orleans needs to get the most out of Williamson, Murray, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Jose Alvarado and Jordan Poole during the 2025-26 campaign.
Obviously, it all starts with Williamson because the Pelicans are a different team with the Duke product leading the way, as Spears points out.
“This is a guy that only played over 30 games twice in his career,” Spears said. “Missed a whole season. Only played 30 games last season, but when Zion plays, they win, and Willie Green also said when Zion plays, he’s one of the best players in the league. I don’t deny that either, but it’s always ‘if’ Zion plays.
“And to me, if the Pelicans want to be special, if you look at their roster, it’s a lot deeper and better than a lot of people think”
With teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers stealing all the headlines for being the cream in the Western Conference, the Pelicans might be able to fly under the radar with a young roster and a healthy Williamson.
It’ll be interesting to see how everything pans out in the West during the upcoming season, but if Green is right about Williamson and isn’t just hyping his star player, the Pelicans could be a team to keep an eye on, as they might surprise some people.