Willy Hernangomez on Zion Williamson: 'The most important thing is he's hungry'

Zion Williamson missed all of 2021-22 with a broken foot, after missing much of his rookie season of 2019-20 with knee injuries. He's only played 85 career games because of a body that seems vulnerable to injury due to its sheer power, like when he hurt his knee at Duke blasting out of his own shoes.

But the sheer mass of Zion's body also may have contributed to his injuries, which is why "He's hungry" is an unfortunate choice of words for Hernangomez. ESPN's Tim McMahon said that Zion was 330 pounds last fall, and the Pelicans included a weight clause in his contract extension requiring periodic weigh-ins for their young star.

How about, "The most important thing is he's starving for a playoff berth"? Or, "The only po' boys in Zion's life are the unfortunate young men who have to guard him in the lane?" Or, "Zion is cutting to the basket just like he's cutting out carbs in his diet?"  Or even, "We're prepared to ride Zion to a long playoff run, just like he's been diligently riding his Peloton every day of the summer."

Observers say Zion has been a force in practice, and his trainer says he is in "fantastic shape." Let's hope he stays healthy, and we get a steady diet of Zion dunks this year.