Why Kendrick Perkins is 'feeling great' about Pelicans' Zion Williamson despite injury
Yesterday at 08:38 PM
The New Orleans Pelicans made the decision to shut down Zion Williamson, as well as CJ McCollum, for the season. Despite Williamson having another inconsistent campaign in terms of availability, Kendrick Perkins still has a good feeling about Williamson and his future in the NBA.
“I’m feeling great about Zion [Williamson]… from what I’m hearing from my sources, he has a reset in his camp. He hired a nutritionist, he got some new people in his corner,” Perkins said on NBA Today.
Williamson appeared in 30 games for the Pelicans this season. In 28.6 minutes of action, he averaged 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per contest while shooting 56.7% from the field, 23.1% from 3-point range and 65.6% from the free-throw line.
Despite Perkins giving him a vote of confidence, other analysts, such as Stephen A. Smith, have given up hope on Williamson‘s ability to stay healthy.
The Pelicans will have a lot of things to figure out with their top two players sidelined for the rest of the year. With the anticipated addition of a high-level draft pick, the team will hope to have a renewed energy when the 2025-26 season rolls around.
The Pelicans take on the Los Angeles Clippers on the road at 9:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday night.
Keion Brooks showing out for Pelicans
With the New Orleans Pelicans once again being riddled with injuries, young players are getting the opportunity to step up and show what they are capable of. One of these players is Keion Brooks, a rookie forward out of Washington, who has played in seven games for New Orleans so far.
“It’s all about opportunity,” Brooks said. “When the opportunity came, I was prepared. I’ve been playing all year. Down in the G League, the coaches down there made sure I was prepared for whenever my opportunity came. It’s just working and believing, and I have a lot of faith in God.”
In 17.4 minutes of action, Brooks is averaging 7.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and one assist per game while shooting 54.1% from the field, 42.9% from 3-point range and 62.5% from the free-throw line.
Brooks does not plan on slowing down anytime soon as he hopes to keep developing into a more important role for the team.
“I just want to continue to develop and show everybody that I’m a winning player and I make winning plays,” Brooks said. “Use my versatility to impact the game in a whole bunch of ways, whether that’s scoring or defensively. I just want to keep stacking them.”
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