The Pelicans in New Orleans held Media Day, while Zion Williamson attracted all the attention.
Williamson seemed significantly slimmer compared to the previous time he was in public eye.
Not only does Williamson look healthy, he also has a new teammate in Jordan Pool, which the Pelicans acquired in offseason deals.
As good as the Pelicans look at the paper, their success depends on whether Williamson is able to stay healthy.
Since the Pelican spent media day, Williamson has won almost every spotlight.
Fans and media members have already guessed a season like the healthy, shaped season Williamson can have.
But Jeff Teague wasn’t immediately praised what he heard or saw from Williamson. He spoke about the topic surrounding Williamson’s transformation on the Club 520 podcast.
“It’s probably the stupidest press conference I’ve ever heard in my life. All of these things are thanks to you.
“Now suddenly, it’s probably the year of the contract, or he’s probably looking for an expansion. Suddenly he’s in shape and they believe in me. Fools. They gave you the max deal. They were trusted by you.
“But they had to put all their options out there because you didn’t believe in you. It’s stupid like h***. That press conference is stupid.
“You get paid nearly $40 million a year to take the form of nearly $40 million a year. And I’m not even trying to sound like an old head. It’s just you’re going to have a press conference and say, ‘Yeah, I feel the best I’ve felt from college.’ For example, you chose to feel that way, Teague added.
“So obviously, if he plays well, they’re going to pick up his options. I’m sure they’re going to keep picking him up, but if he plays well, it’ll remove a lot of fire from him.
But when he graduated from college, he would become a superstar and a generational talent. Yeah. And to ensure we don’t even get a full season from every year he was there, that’s trash for me.
“Yeah, especially when you can do that. You’ve got the ability to shape it. You got the money to hire a chef. He’s got everything he needs to succeed.”
Since joining the league in 2019-20, Williamson has played more than 30 games in his career only twice.
Williamson played just 30 games last season as he was shut down on March 31st.
This offseason, Williamson did what he needed to lose weight and get stronger.
Pelican fans are thirsty to see what a healthy Williamson can do and whether he can stay healthy.
If coach Willie Green and the Pelicans want to compete for shots at this season’s Western Conference, they need the best version of Williamson.