Pelicans will rest Zion Williamson in second game of back-to-back

With this season already in ruins, there’s only one thing that matters for New Orleans and its face of the franchise the rest of the way: keeping Williamson healthy. At this point, the performance and the production are secondary to making sure he’s there for the rest of the season, proving he can do what it takes to stay on the court. “It’s extremely important,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “Our medical team and performance, they’re working diligently, along with Zion and the whole staff, to do everything we can on our part to make sure he has all the resources to be healthy.” -via New York Times / January 8, 2025

He made it clear he was back early in the second half when he picked up a steal in the open court and uncorked a thunderous 360 windmill dunk reminiscent of the one he did against the Phoenix Suns in 2022. “We worked really hard during this rehab,” Williamson said. “The focus I had during this rehab was a bit more extreme. We found different ways to work and not just be stagnant. Even before I was running, the conditioning the team had me doing was a lot, but it was always good work. Week by week, I could feel the progression.” -via New York Times / January 8, 2025

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, who reportedly could be moved before the league’s Feb. 6 trade deadline, is not on the Warriors’ radar, Andscape’s Marc J. Spears reported Tuesday in an appearance on KNBR 680’s “Murph & Markus.” “I also did hear that Zion’s not on the [Warriors] radar,” Spears told Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher. “Which, I know others might feel differently, but probably a good thing. Because with Zion, you just don’t know what you’re going to get and when he’s going to be healthy, and his [salary cap] number’s rather high as well. I just think the Warriors in the end will get someone in a very creative way. They actually have to.” -via NBC Sports Bay Area / January 8, 2025