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Andrew LopezESPN
For rookie Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans, the quarantine presented a new set of challenges. How does a 285-pound athlete who retired two months after returning from knee surgery stay fit?
The NBA provided a lifesaver when it authorized Williamson to continue his rehabilitation at the Pelicans facility even after the league closed its operations. The second lifeline for Williamson came from his stepfather, Lee Anderson.
Created for this 💪 pic.twitter.com/xdB0OMex35
– New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) July 2, 2020
“At first, I say it was very difficult (staying in shape), because even now you still don’t know what’s going on with that situation,” Williamson said Thursday morning. “But my stepfather and I found different ways to stay fit, on and off the court, right where we could find him.”
Williamson said he entered the court “every day” during the quarantine period with his stepfather, as he was not allowed to work with the Pelicans’ coaching staff according to NBA guidelines. When asked where he was working, Williamson laughed out loud.
“I can’t tell you all my secrets, man,” said Williamson. “I have to keep some things for myself.”
While we don’t know what kind of basketball Williamson is in, he did say he feels he is in good shape before restarting the NBA. The Pelicans will start things for the NBA’s eight seed games on July 30 when the team plays the Utah Jazz.
Count Josh Hart as one of Williamson’s teammates who was impressed with his appearance in the gym once the players got back together.
“I think the body looks amazing,” said Hart. “It looks good. His shot looks better than it has in a long time. He’s been working and that’s great to see.”
“And he is one of the players who has one of the biggest focuses in the league and in the world right now. So he handled everything with great humility. I am very surprised and proud of how he handles all of that.”
When the Pelicans return to the court against the Jazz, they will try to make up a 3.5-game deficit with the Memphis Grizzlies for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.
If New Orleans can stay within the Grizzlies’ four games and claim the ninth seed, while staying away from Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio and Portland, it would find itself in a play-in tournament against Memphis. Or possibly beat Memphis and become the eighth seed.
It is a battle that was intensifying as the season stopped. But Hart feels that if the Pelicans had Williamson for more than 19 games, the eighth seed wouldn’t be what they were chasing right now.
“I think if we had it at the beginning of the year, the story would not be ‘fight for the eighth seed’; it would have been ‘we are a seed of 4 or 5 in the West.'” Hart said. “Honestly, that’s my opinion. Unfortunately we couldn’t have it earlier in the year, but it has helped change this organization and this season.”
Williamson said the team’s focus in Orlando is to make a playoff effort, but agreed with Hart that the team could have been much more dangerous if everyone had been healthy throughout the year.
“I think this team can be really special when we are all healthy,” said Williamson. “It’s just a matter of us coming together, fighting those mental battles of being in the bubble and honestly coming together. I feel like if we can come together and fight the battles together, I think we can be something really special.” “
By the time things start in Orlando, it will be the completion of a 12-month whirlwind for Williamson, who will turn 20 on July 6. Their first summer league game ended with an injury and an earthquake. The start of his season was delayed due to surgery. He hit four triples in his first game, and only two since. And in the midst of a pandemic, he was named cover athlete for NBA 2K21.
Now his unconventional year 1 ends in another unconventional way: playing in Orlando in July and August.
“I am very fortunate that the NBA was able to do this,” said Williamson. “Because I trust the NBA, in the bubble, we will be in a safe environment, protected at best and what is happening. And he is a crazy man; we are actually about to leave. It is a lot of processing, Sure, but I’m excited. “
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