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As players around the NBA return to the gym and prepare for the season restart next month, New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson won’t have to go very far to do so.
Williamson was granted special permission by the NBA to remain in New Orleans and receive treatment at the practice facility under the supervision of team doctors. The treatment was said to be continual and not related to his surgically-repaired knee.
Pelicans vice president of basketball operations David Griffin last week said Williamson looks to be in a good space mentally and physically while an unnamed team employee even told ESPN that Williamson is going to “shock” people upon the season restart.
In an interview with William Guillory of The Athletic, Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry stopped short of saying Williamson will shock people but said he has worked extremely hard during the season suspension.
I’ve seen him a lot and we’ve talked a lot about things we expect him to do when everyone is back. I think he’s worked extremely hard during the time away. I think, to some degree, you’ll see everybody a little rusty when we come back because we’ve been away for so long. But he’ll get himself right, and I don’t see any reason why he wouldn’t pick up right where he left off.
Williamson and the Pelicans won’t have to wait long before resuming the season as they are scheduled to participate in the first game back against the Utah Jazz. The Pelicans enter the restart 3.5 games back of eighth place and will have eight games to attempt to secure a playoff berth.
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