Zion Williamson strikes off diet & weight loss from his offseason priority list: “Bron got the blueprint”
As Zion Williamson looks to make his return to the court at the start of next season, many have questioned whether or not he will be able to stay healthy. Time and time again it seems as though Williamson's progress and momentum toward another All-Star Game appearance has been hindered by his inability to stay healthy.
With Zion Williamson's name once again popping up in potential trade talks this offseason, the hope is that when the season starts, he will hit the ground running. Given that he hasn't played since Februrary, there's concern that he could have to shake off some rust while ramping up in real-time game scenarios.
During a recent appearance on "Gil's Arena," Zion Williamson spoke about his weight, which has remained a hot topic of conversation leading up to his return. While there was speculation around the league that he would need to lose weight in order to prolong his career, Williamson seems to have a different mindset:
"The diet piece, I'm always able to come back each summer feeling good looking good but I would say it's more of a just locking in on like flexibility band work.
"Because I think it's those things that will be able to keep me on the court longer versus just losing a bunch of weight. And then coming to play not being able to maintain, so just I mean, s**t Bron got the blueprint."
Looking at Zion Williamson's injury from last season, and the New Orleans Pelicans heading into this season
Last season, the New Orleans Pelicans ended up finishing the season in ninth place in the Western Conference, coming up short of making the playoffs. Given that the team was incredibly close to making it into the postseason, it's no wonder that Zion Williamson's health is a big talking point heading into this year.
Last season, he was voted into the All-Star game despite playing in just 29 games, and missing the remainder of the season after a hamstring injury in early January. Although the hope was that he would be sidelined for just a few weeks, those weeks turned to months, and the Pelicans shut him down for the season.
Despite that, the dynamic duo of Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum put forth spirited efforts to keep the team afloat in his absence. Despite coming up short of missing the playoffs, there is optimism that Williamson seems to be the missing piece.
Should he manage to stay healthy, many analysts believe the Pelicans can make waves in the West. Whether or not flexibility winds up being the key to keeping him on the court, only time will tell.