New Orleans Pelicans Star Named 'Wild-Card Sleeper' for MVP Award

A New Orleans Pelicans star is a player to keep an eye on in the MVP race for the 2024-25 season.

Apr 2, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) smiles to a fan during the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. / Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson has been garnering a lot of headlines recently. He has transformed his body, getting into the best shape of his life. That is common offseason hyperbole, but for the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, it is a legitimate statement.

While making an appearance at his summer basketball camp, Williamson showed off an impressive physique. And, he isn’t done. There are goals in place for what he wants to weigh once the regular season rolls around in October.

He has been putting in work when it comes to his weight loss after being heavily criticized last December for how he looked on the court. Sluggish and seemingly out of shape, he was ridiculed by several major media personalities and analysts.

At that point, it was when Williamson knew that something had to change. To his credit, he has put in the work and looks great. There are some people who are concerned that losing too much weight will negatively impact the power that he plays with on the court.

But, the Pelicans would certainly trade a handful of fewer thunderous dunks a season if it means that their star is in the lineup more. After playing in a career-high 70 games during the 2023-24 campaign, the weight loss certainly seems to be helping.

Being able to stay on the court means more production and more chances to be in the spotlight. It could put him in a better position for some accolades, such as the MVP award.

Right now, Williamson is just outside of the top 10 when it comes to the MVP odds for the 2024-25 season. Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report believes that he is a wild card sleeper to take home the prestigious award this upcoming season.

“Having a proven point guard like Murray to run the offense should mean more easy baskets for Williamson. A potential Brandon Ingram trade could mean more shots for Williamson as well, as his scoring average jumped to 26.8 points per game without Ingram compared to 24.2 when the two forwards shared the floor.

Coming off a 49-win season, the Pelicans should be even better this season with Murray. A 70-game season from Williamson last year was encouraging as well,” Swartz wrote.

If the 2023-24 season proved anything for New Orleans it is that they need a true point guard to maximize the team’s potential. Williamson’s production suffered without a table-setter getting him in position to score.

As Swartz noted, Williamson had 75.5 percent of his two-point makes assisted by Lonzo Ball and Jrue Holiday. Last season, the Pelicans used CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram as their main initiators. Solid playmakers in their own right, but not true point guards.

Last season, Williamson shot a career-low 57 percent from the field and only 47.4 percent of his makes were assisted on. Dejounte Murray will help improve that, which will lead to his shooting stats getting back to their career norms.

Improved efficiency and higher scoring numbers should result in more New Orleans victories. If Williamson’s improved health is continued, the 2024-25 season has the makings of a true breakout.