The New Orleans Pelicans appear to be a serious contender for the Western Conference title.
Of course, this also depends on the status of superstar striker Zion Williamson.
Williamson has struggled to stay healthy throughout his NBA career, playing 24, 61, 29 and 70 games in his first four years.
Last season was the 24-year-old’s best year. Unfortunately, he suffered another injury during his team’s play-in game against the Los Angeles Lakers. He was unable to return for his team’s first round playoff match against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
With a view to the 2024-25 NBA season, there are again great expectations placed on Williamson.
An NBA writer, Chris Dodson of Coupling pointshas made a huge prediction for Williamson for the upcoming season. He believes that Williamson will end up playing at least 70 games and averaging over 27 points per game.
During the 2023-24 season, Williamson averaged 22.9 points per game, 5.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.1 steals. Overall, he made 57.0 percent of his shots and sank 70.2 percent of his free throw attempts.
Frankly, those numbers are extremely high. There is a chance he could reach them, but it seems unlikely.
A more reasonable expectation and prediction would be that Williamson will average 25 points per game and play in 70 or more games. This prediction is much more believable.
If he actually averaged over 27 points per game, Williamson would be a potential candidate for the MVP title.
Coming into the NBA, it was naturally expected that he would be an MVP in the future, and perhaps this is the season where he begins to show what has made him one of the most talked about and hyped NBA talents in recent history.
If he can do that, 27 points per game might be appropriate.
All the Pelicans need to do is stay healthy all year and into the playoffs. As long as he stays on the court, he’ll be able to perform at the same level as last season.
Expect Williamson to have a great season. New Orleans has assembled a great roster, but it will all depend on the face of the franchise.
Hopefully it will live up to the huge predictions and expectations listed above.
