Zion Williamson Era in New Orleans Is Effectively Over After Comeback Win vs. Rockets

Zion Williamson was watching from the bench as the Pelicans unofficially kickstarted a new era with a signature win.

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans completed an exciting comeback against the Houston Rockets on Thursday. The largest comeback in franchise history, the Pelicans erased a 25-point deficit in front of an electric Smoothie King Center crowd for the best win of the season. At 6-22, the Pelicans still have a long way to go, but they are clearly on the right track.

The biggest takeaway from the signature win is the fact that the Pelicans did it without Zion Williamson. Coming off the bench for the second straight game, the star power forward only played 21 minutes. More importantly, he didn't play a single second in the fourth quarter, and overtime as head coach James Borrego rode with the Jose Alvarado-Herb Jones-Trey Murphy-Saddiq Bey-Derik Queen group that mounted the comeback.

Zion Williamson Benched in Pelicans' Win Over the Rockets

Sticking with Bey over Williamson clearly paid off as the veteran forward had one of the best games of his career, scoring a team-high 29 points on 11/18 shooting, while adding nine rebounds and two steals. New Orleans was +21 in his 34 minutes of action, compared to -17 in Williamson's minutes.

This could have significant reverberations for the Pelicans going forward. It's clear that Williamson is no longer a key member of this core. Borrego has no qualms closing games without Williamson or giving him fewer minutes than he can handle. Prior to this season, that seemed unthinkable.

To be fair to Williamson, he has had an excellent attitude towards coming off the bench and playing a smaller role. But the writing is on the wall for the two-time All-Star.

The best-case scenario for the Pelicans is that Zion stays healthy and on his best behavior over the next six weeks until the trade deadline. If he can contribute in his role, he should boost his trade value and have multiple suitors before February 5.

The future is here in New Orleans. Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen will be the centerpieces of this franchise for years to come. Whether Trey Murphy and Herb Jones will be a part of that future remains to be seen, but it's obvious that Williamson's time has come to an end.

The win over the Rockets may be remembered for a long time as the day that kickstarted the new era of Pelicans basketball. Unfortunately, Williamson will have to watch that while on the bench or on another team.