New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Pelicans star Zion Williamson shows off new look in viral photos

By Jeff Smith | Last updated 8/19/23

If Zion Williamson is looking to quiet the doubters, his appearance just months ahead of the start of the 2023-24 NBA season should get the ball rolling on that. In a picture that surfaced recently, Williamson, who's been in the spotlight all offseason for some off-court relationship drama, along with being rumored as a player potentially involved in various trades, appears to have spent plenty of time in the gym.

Whatever the 23-year-old did working out this summer seems to have helped him look primed and ready to do some damage, at least shutting down the concerns over his weight. The caption here from Dunk Central sums it up perfectly.

Zion. Scary hours. pic.twitter.com/zZEI9gnG5q
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 18, 2023

Williamson certainly looks like he's well on his way to kicking off the new season in impressive shape. The obvious question, regardless, remains whether or not the former Duke star can stay healthy, which has been his downfall thus far in his young NBA career. Over his first four seasons, Zion has played in just 114 games.

Over the 114 games he's played, Williamson missed one entire season (2021-22) and played 24 games (his rookie year in 2019-20), along with 29 games last season. The most time he's been able to stay on the floor in a single year came in 2020-21 when the former No. 1 overall pick played 61 games and averaged 33.2 minutes per game.

Not surprisingly, Williamson's best season statistically came in 2020-21, when he averaged 27 points, 7.2 rebounds and shot 61.1 percent from the field. It's worth noting that whenever he's been able to play, his tremendous upside has been apparent, as he's averaged 22.5 points or more in every season, along with seven or more rebounds in each of the last two years he played. For his career, Williamson has shot 60.5 percent from the field.

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