Zion Williamson's Season Recap

Injuries made it another lost season for Zion Williamson and the Pelicans.

Author:
Terry Kimble
Apr 30, 2023 4:18 PM EDT

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NEW ORLEANS — Zion Williamson, the talented New Orleans Pelicans player, possesses many skills. Unfortunately, he struggles with availability issues due to injuries affecting his performance. Despite a promising start to the season, Williamson has found himself sitting on the bench while his teammates fight to keep their season alive. It's become an all-too-familiar situation for the fourth-year forward from Duke.

On January 2, Williamson sustained a hamstring injury while playing against the Philadelphia 76ers. He was initially diagnosed with a hamstring strain and scheduled to be re-evaluated in three weeks. However, during his rehabilitation, he experienced a reaggravation of the same injury and was unable to play for the rest of the season.

Zion played 29 games, and his numbers were off the charts. He averaged 26 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, giving him his second all-star selection and his first as a starter. New Orleans went 17-12 with him on the court but were 25-28 in games Williamson didn't play. A quick analysis bears out the impact he possesses.

According to Cleaning the Glass, the Pelicans' point differential from their opponents when Zion is on the court is +7.9 per 100 possessions. To put that in perspective, that's a higher disparity for Zion than for players like Jayson Tatum, Ja Morant, and Luka Doncic. It puts Williamson in the 90th percentile of all players in the NBA.

Dec 30, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

That on-court impact correlates to a +19 win over an 82-game season. Since Zion has been in the league, his impact equals an average of +18 wins over the entire year.

There was also much improvement in the defensive side of the ball for Williamson. He recorded either a block or steal in 22 of the 29 games he played. Zion had seven multi-steal games, including two games this season where he recorded four steals. His 43.3% defended field goal percentage was Top 5 among forwards in the NBA who played at least 20 games. Williamson was making huge impacts on both sides of the floor.

Season Highlight

December 28, 2022 versus Minnesota Timber Wolves. Career-high 43 points.

In an interview with reporters, Zion shared his desire to be recognized as a champion, with performances like this one sticking in people's minds. During the fourth quarter, Williamson scored the Pelicans' last 14 points, contributing five assists, a steal, and a blocked shot. CJ McCollum, his teammate, motivated Zion to strive for greatness, and he certainly delivered.

Season Lowlight

Only playing 29 games.

Williamson has only played in 114 games throughout his career, which amounts to less than 40% of the total games of the Pelicans he joined the league. This has caused frustration among the team and fans, who expected a perennial contender each season. Unfortunately, the Pelicans have only secured two playoff spots since Zion joined, and those wins were achieved during the seasons he missed.

Future Outlook

Last season, Williamson agreed to a $194 million contract extension for five years with his team. He is dedicated to his team and prepares his body accordingly. Zion maintained his peak physical condition during the previous offseason and will need to do the same this time. Although he is a rare talent, Williamson has unfortunately suffered recurring injuries that could hinder his performance. The team hopes that he can overcome these challenges and continue to excel.