New Orleans Pelicans’ leading player, Zion Williamson, recently underwent a shocking weight loss during the offseason. The two-time NBA All-Star’s current mission stems from recent criticisms about his performance last season for his team. He ensured he would prove his haters wrong and achieve an ideal weight before October.
Veteran analyst Stephen A. Smith gave insights about Williamson’s weight loss. In his namesake podcast, he said that with the Pelicans’ star’s upcoming physique, he would perform better for the team and even bring them to a more pleasurable postseason.
“You can look at all these teams, somebody’s going home if Zion Williamson is 100%. A healthy Zion Williamson with the New Orleans Pelicans, they ain’t losing no first round. So, it’s really good to see him in shape, taking it seriously. This is his career, he’s got his bag.”
Before the end of the previous season, Williamson weighed more than 280 pounds. This led to many people criticizing him as overweight and, therefore, incapable of displaying a meaningful performance for the Pelicans, especially when the 2019 ACC Player of the Year’s team faced the Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs.
The bashers’ proof of the 23-year-old Pelicans star’s unhealthiness was when he acquired a hamstring injury before the playoffs. Because of this, his team was forced to play without their star forward. This was crucial since the Oklahoma youngsters had seized the moment to decimate the Louisiana-based team in game one.
After his team’s heartbreaking 0-4 loss, Williamson focused on improving himself. From being overweight, an NBA insider reported the 2019 Karl Malone awardee as being 281 pounds. The Pelicans star even seeks to reach 272 pounds by the start of the season in October.
Zion Williamson’s changes will be crucial for his development.
Stephen A. Smith’s prediction for the Duke Blue Devils alumnus gives hope for the player’s team. Analysts saw Williamson’s improvement as something unseen since the start of his career.
The two-time NBA All-Star would use his notable changes, possibly leading to crucial victories for the Pelicans. The team might finish in a more pleasurable postseason position if fortunes are with them
Many people knew what an all-out healthy Williamson was like from the past season’s events. Despite missing tons of games, the first overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft still showed dominance, averaging high points
The Pelicans could emerge as a threatening player in the upcoming season. With key players like CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram supporting the healthy Williamson, their chances of gaining more wins are high.
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