Can New Orleans Pelicans Zion Williamson Stay Healthy When It Matters Most?

The health of Zion Williamson is key to the New Orleans Pelicans reaching their potential.

Apr 19, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) talks to the ball boys during a time out against the Sacramento Kings in the second half during a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Smoothie King Center. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

There is plenty to keep an eye on when it comes to the New Orleans Pelicans heading into the 2024-25 NBA regular season.

What does the future hold for forward Brandon Ingram? He is seeking a lucrative long-term extension with a huge gap in what the team is willing to offer.

His standing has a huge impact on the team. As long as he remains on the roster, head coach Willie Green will have some very difficult decisions to make with his lineups navigating the logjam on the wing.

Trading Ingram and filling the glaring hole at the center spot would make a lot of sense if the opportunity presents itself.

Alas, the biggest storyline for the Pelicans, as it is every season, is the health of Zion Williamson.

If New Orleans has any hope of reaching their current ceiling, Williamson needs to be healthy. His return from yet another injury is a key storyline to keep an eye on in the opinion of NBA insider Andrew Lopez of ESPN.

Even when he is able to stay on the court, as he appeared in a career-high 70 games during the 2023-24 campaign, injuries remained a storyline. The former No. 1 pick spent the entire postseason in street clothes as he suffered an injury in the NBA Play-In Tournament against the Los Angeles Lakers.

“Williamson's injury was less severe than the one that halted his 2022-23 season, and he was able to return quickly to summer workouts -- even participating in team-led workouts in the Los Angeles area in late August -- as he prepares for the upcoming season,” Lopez wrote.

While less severe, it still kept him sidelined for the most important part of the NBA season. He missed their playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, as the Pelicans were swept in the first round.

Defeating the Thunder would have been a tall task, but he would have certainly helped. New Orleans managed to score only 89.5 points per game and lost Game 1 by two points.

Had their best player been in the lineup, the outcome would have assuredly been different as a more competitive series would have been had.

Not partaking in postseason games has been a troubling trend in the early going of his career. Despite the Pelicans advancing twice in his career, he has yet to appear in a postseason game.