'There are no restrictions' - Zion Williamson ready to go all-out with New Orleans Pelicans, showers praise on Steven Adams
Not many rookies over the last two decades were as hyped as Zion Williamson was entering the 2019-20 season. However, knee injuries and then head coach Alvin Gentry's protective policy regarding Zion prevented the New Orleans Pelicans fans from seeing him in full effect. This is unlikely to be the case again as the Duke University product is set to get a full-blown run under Stan Van Gundy.
Zion Williamson ready to kick things into gear with New Orleans Pelicans
Speaking during Sunday's media availability, Zion Williamson assured everyone that he was ready to operate at full potential for the New Orleans Pelicans. As per ESPN's Andrew Lopez, Zion explained:
"Me and Coach Van Gundy have talked and from what I know now, there are no restrictions. None... Of course, I love to play basketball. With no restrictions, why wouldn’t I love that?”
Zion Williamson only played 24 games for New Orleans Pelicans last year but averaged 22.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. If Zion manages the usual sophomore leap that most stars do, expect him to bully opponents all season long.
Zion Williamson surprised by how strong Steven Adams is
In one of the major trades of this offseason, the New Orleans Pelicans acquired Steven Adams from OKC Thunder. The Kiwi is known for his physical presence inside the paint and is expected to help Zion Williamson with interior offense. Speaking on Adams, Zion said:
"Steven's a great guy. You can just sense it from meeting him for five minutes. On the court, you can see he's hard-working... Steven is strong. I thought I was strong, but seeing him up close, on the same team now, it's crazy. Steven is really strong and he's a great basketball player."
In Steven Adams and Zion Williamson, the New Orleans Pelicans arguably have the strongest frontcourt in the entire NBA. Not amongst the most versatile scorers, Adams is great at offensive rebounding and setting screens. He will be hoping to open up spaces for Zion by attracting more attention towards himself.
Also read: Predicting the New Orleans Pelicans' starting 5 for the 2020-21 season