Zion Williamson’s rookie season in the NBA was marked with various injury-related restrictions that limited the time New Orleans Pelicans’ star spent on the court. But the good news is that the 20-year-old doesn’t expect this to be the case anymore.
During a chat with reporters on Sunday, Williamson said Pelicans’ head coach Stan Van Gundy told him there will be “no restrictions” on his playing time for the 2020/21 NBA season.
“Me and coach Van Gundy have talked, and from what I know now, there are no restrictions. None,” said Williamson, while adding that he is looking forward to being able to play without any limitations.
Zion Williamson entered the league as Pelicans’ first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft but ended up having his debut postponed due to a meniscus injury he suffered in the preseason. When he finally did get to the NBA court, New Orleans opted for a cautious strategy and kept him on minute restrictions for the better part of his rookie campaign.
Williamson ended up playing 24 games while spending 27.8 minutes on the court on average. This didn’t stop him from putting up some dominant performances, and he finished the season by averaging 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.
