Zion Williamson's stepdad expects Pelicans star to play before season's end
Zion Williamson has been rehabbing his fractured foot for what feels like five years now, but we could soon be finished with the endless progress updates and actually see him out on the court again.
Williamson's stepfather, Lee Anderson, said in a recent interview on "The Jordy Culotta Show" that he expects Zion to play before the season is over.
"I expect him to play. If you were to ask Zion, I'm sure he would probably say the same thing," Anderson said via ESPN. "But with just a couple of games left, with the magnitude of what's going on in New Orleans and the opportunity to qualify for the play-in game and possibly get into a seven-game series, that would be off the charts in the city of New Orleans. That would be a plus in New Orleans. That would be a plus for Zion with the way things are right now.
"Do I expect him to play? Certainly I do. That's on me, though. That's purely me. I don't think there's anything else that would hinder him from doing that right now."
That a pretty bold statement to make with just four regular season games left, though it seems that Anderson is also counting the play-in tournament and any subsequent playoff games as part of the season. It's also a bold statement to make in light of how the Pels have handled Williamson's injury, which is very, very carefully.
Anderson is clearly ready to see his stepson back on the court, and believes the full Pelicans team — with Zion included — could surprise people in the playoffs. But that's if the Pelicans decide Williamson is healthy enough to join in.
"The play-in game will give us additional experience," Anderson said. "If all the pieces are in place, even for the play-in, go ahead and lock that in and get that taken care of and win what we're supposed to win with everybody included, I'm just saying everybody because I think if everybody, everybody is included, we are a dangerous team.
"I was telling my wife yesterday, even in eighth place and we'd have to face Phoenix in the opening round, I would love that opportunity to go against Phoenix see what the full team, the complete team, reacts to being in the playoffs. I would love to see that. If I had any money, I'm putting it on the Pelicans."
The Pelicans haven't indicated one way or another whether Williamson could be cleared to play in the next few days or the next few weeks. But you can assume they're going to remain careful with Williamson, since it's vitally important that he's healthy for the start of next season.
Anderson rebuffs reports about rift with Pelicans
Ever since Williamson was drafted by the Pels in 2019, rumors have swirled that he and his family haven't been happy in New Orleans and there's been tension between them and the Pelicans. Anderson said in no uncertain terms that those reports are false, though he admitted there's been some unhappiness surrounding all the losing the Pels have done since Zion was drafted. (Since he was drafted in 2019, the Pelicans have gone 95-127.)
"I don't know where the comments or the rumblings or the misunderstandings came from. It's always someone referring to someone in Zion's camp. And 'sources say.' There are only four sources in Zion's camp. Zion's mom [Sharonda Anderson]. That's me. That's Noah [Williamson's little brother]. And that's Zion. If it didn't come from one of us, they are not sources," Anderson said.
"We have not sourced information to anybody on Zion's behalf at any time. If anybody can come back and say we said that, we'll discount that. We're enjoying New Orleans. We're enjoying the fabric. We love the pickups that the Pelicans have made the last month or so. We're excited about that. We think — the acquisitions they have made and Zion being on the mend 110 percent — we think the future is very bright in New Orleans right now."
Anderson later emphasized that Zion and the entire family is happy to be in New Orleans.
"But for them to put Zion's family name out there and say that we're not happy in New Orleans, that is false information," Anderson said. "And it's coming from the horse's mouth. You don't have to look anywhere else for any further information, I'm telling you right now that it's false."