Can New Orleans Pelicans Star Zion Williamson Build On Strong 2023-24 Season?

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson had one of the best seasons of his career last year. Can he build on that for 2024-25?

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The New Orleans Pelicans received the most healthy season from Zion Williamson to date in the 2023-24 campaign.

Starting in 70 games, a career-high for the forward, he set new career highs in blocks per game (0.7) and assists per game (5.0), while tying his career high in steals per game (1.1).

Williamson played a big part in the Pelicans reaching 49 wins on the season for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign, and he showed that he can stay healthy for the gauntlet that is the NBA regular season.

Now with a 70-game season under his belt, can the forward build on that and be even better for the 2024-25 season?

Williamson has undergone a new training regiment this offseason, one that sees him running drills five times a week in a high school gym in Little Elm, Texas, while also trying to cut weight to 270 pounds after being listed at 284 throughout his career.

It has been an offseason of hard work for the young star, but if anyone is built for the challenge, it is Zion Williamson.

New Orleans has done their part, as well, to try and build a strong core around Williamson.

The team made a blockbuster trade with the Atlanta Hawks acquiring guard Dejounte Murray, adding the guard to a starting five that already includes Williamson, Herb Jones, and (at least for some of the season) Brandon Ingram.

The incumbents on the roster combined for an 18.9 win share, per Basketball Reference, with Williamson leading the charge at 7.5.

While with the Hawks, Murray was forgoing scoring opportunities to star Trae Young, but with the Pelicans, he should play a more prominent role in the team's scoring, which will take more of the scoring pressure off of Zion.

Williamson missed out on a third career All-Star nomination last year, but as things look going into this season, that may not happen again.

With a stronger offensive core around him in Ingram and Murray, Williamson will be able to better focus on facilitating and taking shots when he is open instead of trying to force something that is not there.

The biggest key for the Pelicans in the coming season is getting Williamson to replicate his 70 game total once again.

With the improvements to the roster and the improvements that Williamson has made to his body while training hard five days a week this off-season, 2024-25 could be the best year yet for Zion Williamson and New Orleans.

One that could even see them break 50 wins for the first time since the 2007-08 campaign.