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Willie Green did everything possible to push the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA Playoffs but a lack of All-Star firepower once again doomed the franchise to an early postseason exit. A hobbled Brandon Ingram almost helped the underdogs steal Game 1 from the Oklahoma City Thunder but the eighth-seeded squad never stood a chance without Zion Williamson. An injury amid a 40-point performance against the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Play-In Tournament was the last look fans got of Williamson, who could only lament what could have been during the team’s exit interviews.
The Pelicans will be proactive and ‘urgent’ with their moves this offseason, per EVP David Griffin. Williamson does not believe the team is too far away from taking more than a few games off of championship contenders. Too bad an ill-timed injury robbed basketball fans of Williamson’s first NBA Playoffs experience. The 23-year-old is convinced the Pelicans have a far different outcome to the season if the team’s All-Stars were healthy.
“It would have been different. It would have been different but, live in reality. I’ve got to go into this off-season and keep working…,” Williamson declared. “I said it before, (the season’s end) is bittersweet because…looking around I’m just like this is the playoffs. Everybody has the same shirt on. All of the fans are into the game. It was bittersweet, but I was happy for my guys.”
Still, Williamson’s 70 games played is an accomplishment the entire organization can take pride in considering the work put into the player performance process. The most important silver lining from a bittersweet season is that Williamson learned to have fun with the game again.
“(Playing 70 games) was a step in the right direction. I’m looking to build on that next season…so I can participate in the playoffs next year,” stated Williamson. “I learned how to have fun with the game, like a lot of fun with it, without putting my stress or too much pressure on myself. I enjoyed it. Talking about having fun while playing the game I love is something.”
It most definitely IS something. Williamson spent time rehabbing away from the team a few years ago. Now the two-time All-Star is staying connected to the locker room regardless of injury status.
“When (the most recent hamstring injury) first happened it was super frustrating. Really frustrating because you know it felt like I was in the zone. You know when it happened I kind of knew. That’s why I look so frustrated but you know like I said, just gotta build on it for next season and hopefully participate in the playoffs next year.”
The growth the organization has seen from its foundational piece has been a breath of fresh air. Williamson refused to waste words tooting his own horn about being an ‘elite’ NBA talent, however.
“I think that will be up to my teammates and the staff, but I gotta get my vets a lot of props today. CJ (McCollum), Larry (Nance Jr.), Cody (Zeller), (Jonas Valanciunas), and (Brandon Ingram). Those guys are pros’ pros so this year instead of being in my own circle, I just kind of asked questions. I asked why they do certain things and tried to incorporate that into my life.”
Zion Williamson sees room for NOLA to grow
The Western Conference was a gauntlet of good to great teams this season and it is only going to get more difficult. Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs and Ja Morant’s Memphis Grizzlies are only going to get better this summer for example. Williamson knows the Pelicans need to improve but the front office does not need to make panic moves. Their star is signed up for multiple years and sees reasons to be encouraged with the current core.
“I think we made a lot of growth, but we still have a lot more improvements that we can make to be a special team. Where we are at right now is not where we were at the beginning of the year, but I still think we have a lot of room to grow.”
The growth starts with Williamson’s approach to embracing all aspects of being an All-NBA level professional. The Duke alum is also delving back into highlights, including some from the 40-point game against the Lakers. That sour feeling will linger until next season, fueling this summer’s grind.
“You know, before I would always kind of just only focus on the court. This year it was more like massages a lot more treatment just staying on top of my body,” Williamson shared. “And I’ve seen a few clips but honestly, it is frustrating. It is tough. It’s tough to watch because that was a big game for us. I feel like we had one but things happen….I feel like there are always things that I can learn and grow from.”
The most noticeable improvement was an expansion of his shot chart, in part thanks to encouragement from the team. Williamson stopped running head-first into brick wall defenses at the rim and started taking some midrange pull-up jumpers.
What took so long though?
“Honestly, it was just confidence. I think being on the court more just gave me confidence. My team is watching me work on my jumpers every day after practice. They’re always telling me to shoot it. It looks good so shoot it. It got to a point where it’s like ‘Why not?’.”
Pelicans cannot have Zion Williamson regress
The Pelicans have improved in “fits and starts” according to Griffin. New Orleans needs Williamson to maintain the current level and build upon that foundation. Regressing back to NBA Play-In Tournament form to start next season is a recipe for the same old disasters to play out once again.
“That was a big moment for me because I didn’t look at anybody else. I look at myself and yeah, I’ll take full blame for that. I wasn’t where I needed to be. I didn’t perform the way I needed to perform, but I think it was one of those things I needed to experience because it changed a lot for me during the season.”
Where does that knowledge leave Williamson mentally, and more importantly, where does he lead the team from here? The Duke alum was at a loss for words, but not a lack of confidence when posed with that hypothetical.
“I don’t know if that’s a question for me to answer, but I know where I’m going. I don’t want to speak too much on it, but I know where I’m going I know what is about to happen…,” boasted Williamson. “At the end of the day, we all have the same goal. We all want to win, but you know winning comes at a price.”
As for a message to the city, Williamson kept it simple without getting too specific. No player wants to be locked into public declarations concerning next season before the 2023-24 NBA Finals start.
“To the city, we appreciate the love and support. Me and the guys are going to do what we need to do to bring the city what it deserves…I do believe that the best is yet to come. The more I’m in the league the more I’ll grow. We figured it out a little bit.”
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