For the first time in more than 500 days, Zion Williamson was back on an NBA court Tuesday night.
The Pelicans star looked like his old, explosive self in his preseason debut against the Chicago Bulls, finishing the night with 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting in 15 minutes while going a perfect 5-for-5 at the line.
Williamson’s first bucket since May 4, 2021 came at 9:40 in the first quarter, and he dazzled minutes later with an emphatic baseline dunk that put the Pelicans up 15-11.
He exploded to the rim with confidence when he saw an opening. He made a few plays for his teammates when the Bulls sent multiple defenders his way. He even made a couple of plays on defense with his activity.
But the way his teammates opened up the floor for him may have been even more impressive. It’s something he hadn’t experienced very often in his first few years in New Orleans.
Even on a night when Brandon Ingram and Trey Murphy were out of the lineup, the Pelicans looked like a team with a ridiculous amount of depth, and adding Williamson to the mix can potentially make them one of the scariest teams in the Western Conference.
The confidence and aggression appeared to be sky high for this young Pelicans squad the entire night. It’s hard for them not to feel good with Williamson back out there manhandling opposing defenses.
Williamson has played 85 games for the Pelicans since being drafted as the No. 1 pick in 2019, boasting averages of 25.7 points, seven rebounds and 3.2 assists on 60.4 percent shooting from the field. He earned his first All-Star nod during the 2020-21 season before suffering a foot fracture prior to last year’s summer league.