New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans Pelicans guard and players association president CJ McCollum condemned antisemitism while discussing the recent events surrounding Kyrie Irving.

"It's safe to say that we know that Kyrie and all of us—me specifically, I can speak for myself—specifically condemn antisemitism in any form," McCollum said, per ESPN's Andrew Lopez. "I am specifically against it. I specifically believe in promoting equality, diversity of inclusion."

Irving promoted an antisemitic film on social media before failing to say he did not have antisemitic beliefs in an ensuing interview. The Brooklyn Nets suspended him for a minimum of five games and provided a checklist he must complete before reinstatement:

Irving has since apologized on Instagram:

While doing research on YHWH, I posted a Documentary that contained some false anti-Semitic statements, narratives, and language that were untrue and offensive to the Jewish Race/Religion, and I take full accountability and responsibly for my actions. I am grateful to have a big platform to share knowledge and I want to move forward by having an open dialogue to learn more and grow from this.

McCollum said it was important for Irving to apologize and use the situation as a learning experience:

"He's displayed empathy now. I think this is a learning experience in which I don't think he understood the magnitude of the movie because he didn't watch it. I don't think he understood the magnitude of the people that were affected, how they were impacted and how fast hate can spread and how this can snowball."

McCollum's words could be impactful as a veteran leader in the league, especially with few others speaking out against Irving's actions.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James also said Irving "caused some harm to a lot of people."

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson is expected to return to the lineup Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers after missing the last two games with a hip injury, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Williamson experienced a hard fall to the court in New Orleans' 122-121 overtime defeat to the Utah Jazz on Oct. 23. Jordan Clarkson blocked his dunk attempt, and he wound up landing on his back.

The Pelicans announced he suffered a posterior hip contusion, which was serious enough to knock him out of their next two games.

After missing the entire 2021-22 season, the 22-year-old didn't take long to remind fans why he's such a heavily hyped talent. He posted 25 points, nine rebounds, three assists and four steals in a 130-108 victory over the Brooklyn Nets to open the campaign.

Williamson is critical to New Orleans' hopes of not just returning to the playoffs but also improving upon its first-round exit from last season. His long-term importance to the franchise also requires carefully managing his workload in the short term given how much time he has missed because of injuries.

Missing Williamson for a game or two every once in a while shouldn't be a big blow for the Pelicans as long as those absences don't begin to add up.

Zion Williams remains a game-time decision for Friday night's matchup with the Phoenix Suns as he recovers from a right posterior hip issue and a lower back contusion, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski:

"I'm feeling better. That was a hard fall. I've taken a lot of falls, but damn," Williamson told reporters on Thursday regarding a hard fall he took during a Sunday loss against the Utah Jazz. "But I'm feeling a lot better each day. Just got some ones in with [Pelicans assistant coach Corey Brewer]. Feel great. Just me and the team will talk about further progression."

Williamson, who said he lost his balance in the collision with Jordan Clarkson, initially downplayed the fall before realizing it was going to impact his play.

"At first I was just like, damn, that kind of hurt," Williamson said. "But I stood up and I was like, 'All right, I'm gonna be straight.' But then I tried to make a quick move and I was like, 'Nah, I need to go chill.'"

The Pelicans held Williamson out of Tuesday's 113-111 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, a game that Herb Jones and Brandon Ingram also missed. The 3-1 Pelicans have dealt with a number of injuries to start the season, but they have gotten off to a strong start nonetheless.

Ditto for Williamson. After missing the entire 2021-22 season, he's responded by averaging 22 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and two steals per game while shooting 49.1 percent from the field.

The new-look Williamson, who came into this season appearing to be in the best shape of his career, hasn't missed a beat. Any injuries are going to be of particular interest and concern, however, given his issues staying healthy throughout his young NBA career.

So if the Pelicans hold Williamson out of Friday's game for precautionary reasons and he next sees the court on Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers, it will be hard to fault the team for taking the careful approach.

New Orleans Pelicans star Brandon Ingram suffered a head injury in Sunday's game against the Utah Jazz and was ruled out before halftime as he was being evaluated for concussion-like symptoms, the team announced.

Entering Sunday's game, Ingram was averaging 28 points, eight rebounds and six assists in the first two games of the 2022 campaign while shooting 54.5 percent from the floor and 60 percent from deep.

All things considered, the 24-year-old had perhaps his most impressive season in 2021-22, averaging 22.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists.

More than the raw numbers, though, he helped to lift a Zion Williamson-less Pelicans squad into the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

New Orleans might have notched more than 36 wins if the 6'8" forward hadn't been limited to 55 games. A hip issue took him out for seven games early into the season, and a hamstring strain put him on the shelf for 10 games in March.

Ingram also underwent surgery on his finger in the offseason.

Signing the Duke product to a five-year, $158.3 million max extension cemented his place within the franchise's long-term outlook, and he has largely lived up to his contract on the court.

However, durability continues to be concern. He has logged 70-plus appearances just once through six seasons and failed to hit 60 games played in three years.

In order for New Orleans to hit its ceiling, the team needs Ingram to avoid the kind of minor injuries that have dogged him across his career.

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green said star forward Zion Williamson "didn't miss a beat" in his first regular-season game since May 2021.

Williamson, who missed the entire 2021-22 campaign while recovering from a foot injury, recorded 25 points, nine rebounds, four steals and three assists in the Pelicans' 130-108 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night.

"It's a lot of room for improvement," Williamson told reporters. "I'm still learning my teammates. Now we get real in-game reps. I'm just excited to grow."

While it was only the first step of an 82-game marathon, there were a lot of promising signs for New Orleans in the season opener.

Along with Williamson's standout performance, fellow starters Brandon Ingram (25 points), CJ McCollum (21) and Jonas Valančiūnas (15) also had strong outings offensively, while Herbert Jones had his usual across-the-board impact, including a highlight-reel block on Kevin Durant.

The Pels' also received 35 points off the bench, led by Trey Murphy III with 16. So Green couldn't have asked for a much better all-around start to the new season.

"When you have smart players and talent out there, it's easier to go out there and just play the game," Ingram said. "It was good to see a lot of one-on-ones that they couldn't be in a lot of help on the defensive end where we had shooters and we had different guys that can make players on the basketball floor."

As for Williamson, he played 30 minutes and showed no signs of any physical restriction in his first competitive game in 17 months. The talent that made him one of the most hyped draft prospects in recent memory three years ago was still on full display.

The 22-year-old Duke product is confident the best is yet to come once he shakes off some rust.

"Yeah, there are some shots where I'm like, 'Well that's good' and when it rolls out I'm like, 'No way.' But my teammates are there for me," Williamson said. "They just tell me to stay aggressive, keep attacking and just be myself. So I mean, they're in my corner so my confidence is going to stay high."

New Orleans entered the season as a sleeper in the championship conversation. It needs several things to fall into place to compete with the NBA's elite, starting with a healthy year from Williamson, but the talent is there to make some serious noise.

The Pelicans will look to keep the good vibes rolling Friday night when they visit the Spectrum Center to take on the Charlotte Hornets.

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson is certain he'll be active for his team's season-opener against the Brooklyn Nets.

"I'm playing Wednesday," he said Monday, per Marc Stein.

Pelicans coach Willie Green said Williamson was able to complete a full practice on Monday.

The update comes after he left last week's preseason game with left ankle soreness. He returned for the second half and sat out the final preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks.

Any injury is a concern for Williamson, who missed all of 2021-22 with a foot injury. The 2019 No. 1 overall draft pick has played just 85 total games across three seasons in the NBA.

New Orleans will be even more cautious after signing the forward to a five-year, $193 million extension that could be worth up to $231 million.

Williamson has been a difference-maker when on the court, averaging 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in 2020-21. He made 61.1 percent of his field-goal attempts and earned an All-Star selection during his lone season playing at least 25 games.

After missing all last season, the former Duke star flashed his ability this preseason:

Williamson scored 13 points in 15 minutes during his first preseason game against the Chicago Bulls, providing a taste of what he can do if he can stay healthy.

The Pelicans earned the eighth seed without Williamson in 2021-22 with Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum emerging as go-to options. Now back to full strength in 2022-23, the squad has a chance to be a legitimate contender in the Western Conference.

The New Orleans Pelicans and Larry Nance Jr. reached an agreement Saturday on a two-year, $21.6 million contract extension.

Nance's agent, Mark Bartelstein, confirmed the new deal to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, who noted the extension will take effect after the final season of the power forward's four-year, $44.8 million contract, keeping him with the Pels through the 2024-25 NBA campaign.

New Orleans acquired Nance in February as part of a blockbuster trade with the Portland Trail Blazers that also landed star shooting guard CJ McCollum in NOLA.

The 29-year-old Cleveland native has averaged 8.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals across 396 NBA appearances since the Los Angeles Lakers selected him in the first round of the 2015 draft. He's also a career 52.9 percent shooter.

While Nance is mostly a complementary player, having a reliable reserve at the 4 is crucial for the Pelicans given the injury issues dealt with by franchise cornerstone Zion Williamson, who missed the entire 2021-22 season because of a foot injury.

The former University of Wyoming standout has been excited by Williamson's performance early in training camp as he prepares for a return to action.

"He looks like Z," Nance told reporters Wednesday. "Dude hasn't played basketball for 500-something days. It's not like none of us are expecting that right away but shoot, I got to be honest with you, dude looks good. It's going to take time for everybody to adjust to him. It's going to take him time to adjust to everybody, but it's hard not to be impressed."

Nance's role may be expanded early in the regular season if New Orleans decides to work Williamson back in gradually, but the veteran reserve will likely settle in around 15-20 minutes per contest when the team is at full strength.

As a whole, the Pelicans are positioned to take a significant step forward this season if their starting lineup of Williamson, McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Jonas Valanciunas and Herbert Jones can stay healthy.

Nance, Devonte' Graham, Jose Alvarado and Jaxson Hayes lead the depth group.

The Pels are scheduled to tip off the regular season Oct. 19 when they visit the Barclays Center to take on Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets in a star-studded opener.

New Orleans Pelicans coach Willie Green said Zion Williamson "dominated" at the team's scrimmage on Tuesday and looked "amazing," per Andrew Lopez of ESPN.

The positive news comes after the forward missed the entire 2021-22 season due to a foot injury.

Williamson was cleared to play in May and is expected to be on the court with the team for the season opener on Oct. 19. Based on the early feedback, there should be high expectations for a player who earned an All-Star selection in his only full season in the NBA.

People on social media were talking about Williamson's apparent body transformation from last year, while the player said he is in better shape than ever.

"I feel like I'm at my best right now," he told reporters at Monday's media day. "Moving faster, jumping higher. I feel great."

The 22-year-old also showcased his speed in a clip from practice Tuesday:

It should be enough for NBA fans to get excited based on what we've seen from the 2019 No. 1 overall pick when on the court.

Williamson averaged 22.5 points per game as a rookie before exploding in 2020-21 with averages of 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He also shot 61.1 percent from the field as one of the most efficient high-scoring players in the league.

After signing a five-year, $193 million extension in the offseason, Williamson is seemingly ready to take the next step toward stardom.

The New Orleans Pelicans continued to lock up the core of their roster after agreeing to a contract extension with CJ McCollum on Saturday.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, McCollum and the Pelicans agreed to terms on a two-year, $64 million extension that will keep the shooting guard in the Big Easy through the 2025-26 season.

There had been rumblings that an extension was coming. ESPN's Brian Windhorst noted on the July 6 episode of The Hoop Collective podcast (h/t RealGM.com) that the Pelicans and McCollum were going to start contract talks soon.

The 2022-23 season is the second year of McCollum's three-year, $100 million extension he originally signed with the Portland Trail Blazers in July 2019.

New Orleans added McCollum in a midseason trade with the Blazers in February. The 31-year-old spent nine seasons in Portland after being drafted No. 10 overall in 2013.

The acquisition of McCollum helped spark the Pelicans to a 16-14 record over the final 30 games of the regular season. They made the play-in tournament, defeating the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers to earn the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.

The biggest question for the Pelicans coming into the offseason was about Zion Williamson's future. They quickly answered it by giving him the designated five-year rookie supermax extension worth up to $231 million.

Heading into the 2022-23 season, McCollum is going to be a crucial glue guy for the young Pelicans starters. He has more regular-season and playoff experience than the vast majority of players on the roster.

New Orleans' ceiling will be determined by how many games Williamson is able to play. A core of Williamson, McCollum, Brandon Ingram and Herbert Jones has tremendous potential, even in a deep Western Conference.

McCollum played some of the best basketball of his career after the trade. He averaged 24.3 points on 49.3 percent field-goal shooting (39.4 percent from three) and 5.8 assists per game in 26 starts.

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."