Zion Williamson

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson is looking to return to stardom after working with personal trainer Jasper Bibbs this summer.

"He's in fantastic shape," Bibbs told William Guillory of The Athletic. "He's been committed to putting in the work day in and day out. I'm really proud of what he's been able to accomplish. He's a better athlete now than he's ever been."

Williamson was always an elite athlete, helping him earn an All-Star selection in his first full season in the NBA. He averaged 27.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in 2020-21 while shooting 61.1 percent from the field.

The problem has been durability—he missed all of 2021-22 with a foot injury and has played just 85 games in three seasons—and his weight at 284 pounds. His new contract with the Pelicans reportedly has a clause that provides incentives based on his weight and conditioning, per Rod Walker of NOLA.com.

There have also been plenty of weight jokes at his expense, which reportedly "bothers" Williamson, per Guillory.

It could be a different story this season.

"(His body composition) has improved at an extremely high level," Bibbs said. "That’s all I'll say."

Zion Williamson "will be playing" in the New Orleans Pelicans' season opener against the Brooklyn Nets on Oct. 19, as Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday:

"The Nets open the season against the Pelicans & Zion will be playing" ~@ShamsCharania#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/baZwa9NfIL

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 23, 2022

Though the game won't be on national television, it became a more high-profile matchup after Kevin Durant agreed to remain with the Brooklyn Nets following months of trade speculation.

It will also be Williamson's first game in over 17 months after he missed the entire 2021-22 season because of a foot injury.

The forward was cleared to play without restrictions in May.

The missed time created concerns about his future with the Pelicans, but he signed a five-year designated rookie extension this offseason that could pay him up to $231 million.

The 2019 No. 1 overall pick carries lofty expectations into 2022-23. He excelled the last time he was healthy, averaging 27.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting 61.1 percent from the field on the way to his first All-Star selection.

Williamson rejoins a team that made a late charge to the playoffs, taking the No. 1-seeded Phoenix Suns to six games in the first round. Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum can provide a lot of scoring from the perimeter, opening plenty of space for Williamson to work in the post.

Even in a deep Western Conference, the Pelicans have the talent to compete with almost anyone.

The opening matchup against the Nets could be an excellent opportunity for New Orleans to prove itself as a contender in 2022-23.

Zion Williamson missed the entirety of last season while recovering from a foot injury, and his absence capped the New Orleans Pelicans' upside en route to a 36-46 record and a first-round exit from the playoffs.

Now Williamson is preparing to return after signing a five-year, $192.9 million contract extension, and the 2021 All-Star selection is aiming to change some narratives.

"I want to prove that I'm a winner," Williamson told reporters in July. "It's as simple as that. I want to win with coach. As well as with my teammates. The ultimate goal is to win the championship. I feel like that's what we're all striving for."

The Pelicans certainly feature enough talent to emerge as a sleeper in the Western Conference if their core group is able to stay healthy throughout the 2022-23 season.

Williamson is joined by Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Jonas Valanciunas, Herbert Jones and Devonte' Graham to form a promising foundation. Dyson Daniels, the No. 8 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, also figures to push for ample playing time as a rookie.

While New Orleans' potential is evident, the West is once again loaded with title hopefuls, led by the reigning champion Golden State Warriors, so the Pels have several obstacles on their road toward contention.

Let's check out all of the important details about the team's regular-season slate following the NBA's schedule release. That's followed by a closer look at what lies ahead for Zion and Co.

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2022-23 Pelicans Schedule Details

Season Opener: Oct. 19 at Brooklyn Nets

Championship Odds: +4900 (via FanDuel)

Full Schedule: NBA.com

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Top Matchups

Los Angeles Lakers (First Game: Nov. 2)

The Pelicans and Lakers forged similar paths last season as talent-laden squads that fell short of high expectations, with injuries playing a key role in their sub-.500 records. New Orleans did at least make the postseason before its campaign came to a close, though.

Both teams are looking to make more noise in 2022-23.

A key for each side will be trying to make sure they land inside the top six seeds in the West to avoid the play-in tournament. It's far from a guarantee, even with better health, because there are so many squads with the potential to join the race atop the conference.

There is always no shortage of storylines when New Orleans and L.A. face off. It starts with the battle between Williamson and LeBron James, but there is also Ingram facing off with his former team after being drafted by the Lakers in 2016.

Games against fellow midconference teams will be the foundation of potential success for the Pels, and a firm winning record against those who end up seeded between Nos. 5 and 10 will be a good indicator they are breaking through as a threat.

A couple of statement wins over the Lakers would be a nice boost along the way, especially if they come with both LeBron and Anthony Davis in the lineup for L.A.

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Minnesota Timberwolves (First Game: Dec. 28)

The Wolves showed a sense of urgency to move up the standings with their blockbuster trade for the Utah Jazz's Rudy Gobert, who will take a lot of defensive pressure off Karl-Anthony Towns as they create one of the NBA's best frontcourt tandems.

It puts Minnesota in the same category as New Orleans as teams looking to make a leap after some offseason roster reconstruction, which for the Wolves also included the addition of Kyle Anderson to provide some do-it-all production on the wing.

The Pelicans and Timberwolves both could lay claim to being the squad with the best chance to join the West's elite, though it's also possible they may be fighting around the play-in line. Either way, their games are going to carry a lot of meaning.

Minnesota could be a tricky matchup for New Orleans because of its defensive versatility on the wings and down low, so these clashes will put some extra pressure on McCollum and the backcourt.

Should the Pelicans show they can overcome those stylistic issues, it will be a good sign they can match up with just about every type of opponent.

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Season Forecast

If you're making a list of teams with a realistic chance to win the 2023 NBA title, the Pelicans belong on it.

They face more variables than some of the surefire contenders like the Warriors, Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, starting with Williamson's health, but if everything falls into place, they have enough talent to make a deep playoff run.

Is New Orleans going to win the 55-60 games likely necessary to compete for the No. 1 seed? Probably not, as it will likely take a while for Zion to get back up to full speed, and some load-management absences are a strong bet throughout the regular season.

David Griffin, the Pelicans' executive vice president of basketball operations, said in July the franchise is in position for a "run toward sustained success for quite a long time."

"We really like the group we have," Griffin told reporters. "We feel like it has a chance to do something special together. It has the requisite versatility it needs, the upside talent it needs. We feel like with the team we have assembled, with Zion as an enormous part of that, coach [Willie] Green and his staff are going to be able to put together an incredible run."

The optimism is warranted, but it's going to take consistent on-court results for the Pelicans to start turning the doubters into believers.

On the flip side, if New Orleans doesn't make significant progress this season, the front office could face tough questions next summer about whether it's time to shake up the roster.

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Record Prediction: 46-36

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If Kevin Durant remains a Brooklyn Net, he'll open the 2022-23 season against Zion Williamson.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the Nets are set to open their regular season against the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 19. The game should also mark Zion Williamson's return to the floor after missing the entire 2021-22 campaign with a foot injury.

Ben Simmons is also slated to make his return after he missed all of last season because of a holdout from the Philadelphia 76ers and a back injury.

There may be no game on the NBA's early slate with more proverbial balls up in the air.

Durant requested a trade in June and has not backed down on his stance. The 12-time All-Star met with Nets governor Joe Tsai earlier this month and demanded head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks be fired if the team wanted Durant to return, sources told Charania. Tsai refused and took to social media to back Nash and Marks.

While the Nets have focused on Durant talks, there is also the possibility Kyrie Irving has played his last game for Brooklyn. The Los Angeles Lakers have been linked to an Irving trade for months, though their lack of available assets has made things difficult. Irving's future with the franchise will likely be impacted, at least in part, by the end result of Durant's trade demand.

As training camp draws closer, it's increasingly likely a disgruntled Durant and Irving will be on the floor for opening night.

The statuses of Simmons and Williamson remain great enigmas, ones that will determine how their respective teams fare next season.

Simmons' shattered confidence on the offensive end was the most glaring aspect of his game that stood out the last time we saw him on an NBA floor. If he was able to get his mental health and body right with a season off, it's likely Simmons will return to All-Star form and rank among the best defenders in basketball.

Williamson landed a max contract extension in New Orleans despite playing only 85 games over his first three NBA seasons. If he stays healthy, the Pelicans will be a clear playoff team that could sneak into the top half of the Western Conference. If the injury issues continue flaring up, Oct. 19 will be the start of another long season in New Orleans.

Few players will be under more of a spotlight when the NBA season starts than New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson after he missed the 2021-22 campaign with a foot injury.

While being the face of a franchise expected to bounce back and lead the way for the foreseeable future at just 22 years old comes with plenty of pressure, he explained to Tres Dean of GQ that he sees a bit of himself in and takes inspiration from Naruto, which is a long-running manga/anime franchise.

Williamson is such a fan of the phenomenon that launched in Japan in 1999 that he worked with the Jordan Brand to design a sneaker collection incorporating parts of the story that, as Dean put it, "have resonated with him over the years."

The Duke product also sees some parallels to his own life from when his stepfather, Lee Anderson, coached him as a youngster.

"For a while nobody took Naruto seriously," he said. "And then he went and trained with [master shinobi] Jiraiya for three years, right? And he came back at 16 years old, goated."

Williamson looked well on his way to becoming "goated" when he was a highly regarded recruit who then became a household name during his one collegiate season with the Blue Devils. He made the most of that one season as the Associated Press Player of the Year, Wooden Award winner, Naismith Award winner, consensus All-American, ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Tournament MVP.

New Orleans then took him No. 1 overall in the 2019 NBA draft in a move that immediately made him the cornerstone of the franchise.

While Williamson played just 24 games as a rookie, he looked well on his way to superstardom during his second season when he averaged 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 61.1 percent from the field.

Yet that individual momentum came to a grinding halt when he missed the 2021-22 season with a foot injury. Throw in a report from Christian Clark of NOLA.com in September 2021 suggesting there was some tension between him and the organization centered around how it handled his injuries, and there was plenty of uncertainty.

"It's been a lot," Williamson said. "I can sit here and explain it, but nobody will really be able to feel it the way I did. My foot was broken and I couldn't magically heal it. It hurt, because I love the game of basketball. But because of it I was experiencing hate and pain from people I don't know every day, and it started to wear on me."

Despite some speculation the forward may want to leave New Orleans, he and the team agreed to a five-year max contract extension this offseason.

He figures to be healthy and on the court again in 2022-23 and is drawing inspiration from one of his favorite sources.

"I had to come to a realization," he said. "No matter what the world is saying, I have to remember that I am who I am and stay true to that. That's what Naruto did, and that's what I'm going to do."

If Williamson fulfills expectations while doing just that, there may be a lot more Naruto fans in New Orleans in the future.

Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans made headlines this offseason when they agreed to a five-year contract extension, but it reportedly comes with a notable clause.

According to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, the extension that is worth $193 million over five years and could increase to as much as $231 million with incentives has a weight clause. The Duke product will have periodic weigh-ins, and his combined weight and body fat percentage must be below 295.

If it isn't, the money can be reduced.

Williamson is listed at 284 pounds by the Pelicans.

Clark noted the 22-year-old "has struggled to stay in shape" for much of his NBA career, with "poor conditioning" playing a role in the decision to sit him out for most of summer league after New Orleans selected him with the No. 1 pick of the 2019 draft.

Health concerns also haven't helped, as he played 24 games as a rookie because of a knee injury and missed the entire 2021-22 season because of a foot injury.

Yet Williamson is working with Jasper Bibbs, who is a personal trainer, and Christian Green, who is a private chef, ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.

Green said:

"Definitely getting him in tiptop shape. My boy says he wants the league MVP this year. I see it. I believe it. I believe Zion is going to be the face of the NBA once LeBron James retires. I believe it. I see it. Just getting him in great health. He's in great health now. But once the season starts, he's going to be in even better health."

It might not be much of a stretch to suggest Williamson can win a league MVP. He averaged 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per night while shooting 61.1 percent from the field in 61 games during his second season in the league.

He will also be surrounded by plenty of talent in New Orleans this season, with Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum as the headliners and a solid group of secondary playmakers in Jonas Valanciunas, Herbert Jones, Jose Alvarado and more.

Anything less than a deep playoff run would be considered a disappointment after the Pelicans emerged from the play-in tournament and challenged the top-seeded Phoenix Suns last season without Williamson.

If he is back, healthy and in shape, the team's ceiling is far higher.

As expected, the New Orleans Pelicans have given Zion Williamson a supermax extension to keep him with the team for at least the next six seasons.

Austin Brown, Williamson's agent, told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday that the two sides have agreed to a five-year, $193 million deal that could end up being worth as much as $231 million.

The move doesn't come as a surprise. Pelicans President of Basketball Operations David Griffin told reporters last month that it was an "easy decision" to offer the 21-year-old a max extension.

New Orleans is hoping to build off last season's success when it made the play-in tournament despite finishing 36-46. The team went on to defeat the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers to earn the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.

The Pelicans' season came to an end with a hard-fought first-round loss to the Phoenix Suns in six games.

Hopes for the Pelicans going forward will depend largely on Williamson's health. Here are three instant reactions after he secured his first massive payday in the NBA.

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Williamson Smart to Extend

When Williamson told reporters in April he couldn't sign an extension "fast enough," it was met with joking sneers from fans and analysts.

Of course, Williamson would leap at the opportunity to get at least $193 million. He's only appeared in 85 games through his first three NBA seasons.

Given how susceptible Williamson has been to injuries at such a young age, his leverage was somewhat limited in this situation.

There are plenty of examples of other young players receiving long-term extensions despite injury concerns.

Michael Porter Jr. got a five-year, $172 million deal from the Denver Nuggets in September. He missed his first season in 2018-19 because of a back injury but was able to play in 116 games over the next two seasons.

That deal turned out to be a brilliant move for Porter. He was limited to nine games during the 2021-22 campaign before having season-ending back surgery in November.

If Porter had not signed that deal, he would have been a restricted free agent this offseason and potentially looking at an incentive-laden short-term contract.

Williamson has a massive ceiling when he's healthy, but that lack of availability is a significant question that can't be overlooked.

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Pelicans Need to Help Williamson

In addition to his injury issues, another reason that Williamson re-signing with New Orleans didn't always feel like a given was the dynamic between the two sides.

Prior to the start of last season, Christian Clark of the Times-Picayune wrote a detailed story about Williamson's frustrations with the organization for how it micromanaged his knee injury during his rookie season:

"Throughout his rookie season, Williamson had grown increasingly frustrated with the Pelicans for the number of hoops they required him to jump through to return from the knee injury he suffered in the preseason. The team initially provided a return-to-play timetable of six to eight weeks, but it took more than three months for Williamson to get back on the floor. When he was finally given the thumbs up to play, he was placed on 'burst' limits, which he detested. The way Williamson's return was handled caused significant tension between him and the team's medical staff, sources said."

The Pelicans front office, led by Griffin, didn't do Williamson any favors last season by being so secretive about the offseason foot surgery he had that ultimately kept him out for all of 2021-22.

By committing to Williamson long-term, the organization certainly seems to be in a good place with him.

Going forward, though, Pelicans management needs to do a better job of communicating information about Williamson when it is relevant. It will make things much easier for him and them to avoid the constant questions that came up last season.

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Pelicans Have Enormous Ceiling in 2022-23

Looking at the roster currently in place for the Pelicans, they have the makings of a good playoff team in the Western Conference.

Brandon Ingram looks to be approaching his final form in New Orleans. After two fantastic offensive seasons with the club, the 24-year-old make huge strides on defense in the 2021-22 campaign.

Griffin got aggressive at the trade deadline last season to add more offensive firepower. CJ McCollum performed very well in New Orleans after being acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers. He averaged 24.3 points and 5.8 assists while shooting 39.4 percent from three in 26 starts with the Pelicans.

Adding Williamson, who has averaged 25.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in his career, to that offensive nucleus will be a significant boost for head coach Willie Green. The Pelicans finished 19th in offensive rating (112.0) and 21st in points per game (109.3) without him last season, per NBA.com.

Going back to 2020-21 when Williamson was able to play in 61 games, the Pelicans offense ranked ninth in scoring average (114.6 points per game) and 12th in rating (113.5).

Of course, the combination of McCollum and Williamson on the defensive end could be a huge problem. Williamson's defense two years ago was abysmal. McCollum has been a defensive liability throughout his career.

Given how young Williamson is and the fact that defense tends to develop slower than offense, it's certainly reasonable to expect he can get better on that end of the court.

The top of the Western Conference figures to be a fight next season. The Golden State Warriors are bringing back most of their key contributors from the NBA Finals. The Memphis Grizzlies have one of the deepest rosters in the league.

The Phoenix Suns still have Chris Paul and Devin Booker. The Los Angeles Clippers are getting back Kawhi Leonard to play with Paul George. There's also the potential that one or both of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving get traded to a Western Conference team.

It certainly won't be easy for the Pelicans to break into the top tier in the West next season, but there's a way for them to at least be in the conversation with a healthy Williamson playing alongside Ingram and McCollum.