The New Orleans Pelicans are in limbo, but they still believe Zion Williamson can reach his potential. It has been a rough time due to injuries, but Kendrick Perkins revealed the organization is behind their star forward.
Zion Williamson has always been a promising player. Selected first overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, many expected him to be a superstar. He was well on his way after earning an All-Star nod in his second year.
During that second year in the 2020-21 season, he averaged 27 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. Williamson also shot 61.1% from the field, which was unbelievably efficient for a high-volume scorer. Now that he is entering his seventh season, he has only played 214 regular-season games.
That is not the number the New Orleans Pelicans want to see from their superstar. His stock is low now. However, the fans should be excited about Kendrick Perkins learning the good news from Williamson’s agent.
After a promising 2023-24 campaign, which saw Williamson play 70 regular-season games, the 2024-25 season was disappointing. He only played 30 games in the 2024-25 campaign, as he struggled with injuries.
Heading into the 2025-26 season, it looks like Williamson is doing well. However, he must stay healthy to give the Pelicans a chance to compete. Considering they traded their 2026 first-round pick for rookie Derik Queen, they have no choice but to be competitive.
Pelicans fans are anxious about the 2025-26 season, but Perkins’ new update is a promising sign. This is good after years of struggling under former president of basketball operations David Griffin.
“I talked to his agent, the great (Bill) Duffy. He told me Zion is on the right path. Zion feels like a pair of church socks, so they make sure he goes in the right direction,” Perkins said on NBA Today.
“To be what he needs to be and be available to play high-level basketball. I’m all-in on the Pelicans.”
As the new president of basketball operations in New Orleans, Joe Dumars has a solid history. He was the architect behind the successful Detroit Pistons teams in the 2000s. As a player, he also won two championships with the Pistons in 1989 and 1990, winning a Finals MVP once.
With this kind of success and perspective, Dumars knows what it takes to be a winner. He has high standards, as he joins the struggling Pelicans. They have all the potential in the world, especially with Williamson as their star and Queen as a top rookie.
Dumars is a big Williamson fan, which is good for the long-term future. The 2019 first overall pick is only 25, so he has not reached his physical prime yet. However, it is important for Williamson to deliver on his expectations. He must stay healthy to produce on the court.
“You know who’s also on Zion? Joe Dumars. It’s not every day in Summer League that you see a GM sitting next to a star during a game,” Marc J. Spears continued.
“From what I’m hearing from Joe, he’s been really, really impressed with Zion. When Zion plays, and I know people are gonna say something about when he plays. They win. They are a problem when he plays.”
The Pelicans have a stacked roster with Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, and Dejounte Murray. The talent is there, but they cannot realize their full potential without Williamson. Their ceiling gets limited without a healthy Williamson, but thankfully, Dumars thinks his star will keep playing.
