Pelicans' Trey Murphy Gets Honest About Zion Williamson's Health

The New Orleans Pelicans really need Zion Williamson to get healthy and a find a way to stay that way.

Apr 14, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) brings the ball up court against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Smoothie King Center. / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Looking ahead to the upcoming 2024-25 NBA season, the New Orleans Pelicans are going to be a serious team to watch. They have the talent to be a top-notch contender in the Western Conference.

The health status of Zion Williamson, as usual, will be one of the biggest storylines to begin the year.

Williamson has the potential to be one of the top-five players in the NBA. He has had that potential throughout his first four seasons. Unfortunately, injuries have completely derailed his career so far.

In his first four years, the 24-year-old star forward has played in 24, 61, 29, and 70 games respectively. While he played the most games he has ever played last season, he suffered an injury during the play-in tournament and missed the rest of the year.

Ahead of the upcoming season, his teammate on the Pelicans, Trey Murphy, spoke out honestly about Williamson's health.

"You get to see what a generational talent looks like with a healthy team. That’s the biggest thing. We’ve got to be healthy. That’s always been our thing for my entire time in New Orleans. If we have a healthy team, I think we can make a deep run."

Murphy is 100 percent right. A completely healthy New Orleans roster would be a major threat come playoff time.

During the 2023-24 NBA season, Williamson ended up averaging 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He shot 57 percent from the floor.

At just 24 years old, Williamson is entering what should be the prime of his career.

New addition Dejounte Murray has already stated that one of his big plans is to push Williamson. That could be a major key for the young star forward.

One of the big question marks about Williamson has been about his physical build. He weighs 284 pounds, which some believe is far too heavy. Weight has been viewed as a major factor in the injuries he has suffered.

All of that being said, the stage has been set for what should be a very successful 2024-25 season. However, a lot of that success will hinge on Williamson being able to play at a high level and stay healthy.

Expect to see Williamson put together another strong year. He has to be excited about what the Pelicans have done to add talent and hopefully that motivates him to have his best NBA season yet.