Pelicans' Zion Williamson injury advice from Coach K
Yesterday at 06:25 PM
While the 2024-25 campaign has been anything but smooth for the New Orleans Pelicans, one positive for the team has been the return of star forward Zion Williamson. Since being drafted No. 1 overall by the Pelicans in 2019, Williamson has dealt with no shortage of injuries. Mike Krzyzewski, better known as “Coach K,” who coached Williamson at Duke, gave him advice on dealing with injuries. The advice was given in an interview with NCAA.com’s Andy Katz.
“He has to come back from those but he also has to maintain a level of conditioning that won’t produce those injuries,” Coach K said. “With how high he jumps and the force that he does, it’s a different landing if you weigh 20 pounds more or 20 pounds less. He was terrific to coach and his parents allowed us to coach him. I love Zion and I’m sorry that he’s had all these injuries. You’re never completely the same if you have an injury during the season and then come back. At the end of the season, you have a whole offseason and you can get back to 100%. In-season injuries are very, very difficult but he’s had a number of them.”
Williamson has appeared in 10 of the Pelicans’ 44 games so far this season, averaging 28.9 minutes of action in those contests. The 6-foot-6 forward is averaging 21.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 48.5% from the field.
Could Zion Williamson be traded? Where?
With the Pelicans sitting at 12-32 – second-to-last place in the Western Conference – they are expected to move some pieces around when the trade deadline comes. Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are two common names for this. Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley included Williamson on his recent trade block big board.
According to Buckley, the Charlotte Hornets could be an ideal landing spot for Williamson.
“Williamson wouldn’t face that same win-right-now pressure in Charlotte, but he might have a win-pretty-soon opportunity if he and LaMelo Ball stayed healthy,” Buckley wrote. “That viral-friendly pairing would be a nightly source of offensive fireworks, and swingman Brandon Miller could nestle in between them as an ideal tertiary option. Sprinkle the right amount of development around them—and perhaps a premier prospect plucked from the seemingly stacked 2025 draft—and this club might soon have the star power and depth needed to make waves in the Eastern Conference.”
Whether or not the Pelicans decide to move on from Williamson, they will likely make some changes around the deadline.
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