Layne Murdoch Jr.. Getty Images.

The last time we saw Zion Williamson on an NBA court was November 6th when he went for 29/8/4/1/1 on 9-18 shooting in 29 minutes in a 9 point loss to the Cavs. Zion would hardly be the only Pelican to get bit by the injury bug as the entire roster seems to be dealing with something, and as a result of what happens in a lost season the chatter started to ramp up around Zion as a player and his future as a Pelican. Should they trade him, would they entertain the idea of cutting him, it’s all been a bit much, but when you’re never on the court giving people anything else to talk about, that’s what’s obviously going to happen.

That of course changed last night with Zion’s return, a good two months since we last saw him. In classic Zion fashion, it didn’t take long for him to remind all of us of what we’ve been missing.

Just when you think you’re out, he pulls you back in! This entire play and situation is what makes the Zion Experience so frustrating. When he’s healthy and on the court, he’s amazing. Must watch TV that makes the Pelicans worth watching even if their season is lost. This was the type of showtime stuff we were promised when Zion first came onto the scene, and due to injuries and a general lack of taking his career seriously, we’ve been robbed. Even in his healthy season like last year, ultimately he got hurt in the Play In. Whenever we get flashes of his brilliance you immediately have to start counting down the days until we get another Shambs bomb talking about hamstring tightness and a TBD timeline for his return. It’s all so unfortunate for a guy that is so much fun to watch.

It’s also a look into why there is going to be some franchise out there that talks themselves into trading for Zion and buying low on his talent at the moment. Maybe a chance of scenery is all he needs in a better culture and system that brings the best out in his game. Get him a different training staff and a chef and who knows what can happen. 

At this point, I’m just glad to see that Zion can still be Zion when he’s healthy. At some point that athleticism is going to disappear, and with more and more leg injuries it feels like we’re already on borrowed time. In terms of the dunk itself? 10/10 no notes. That’s a 10.0 in-game dunk and the exact reason why people bought into the Zion hype in the first place. Glad to see it’s back in our lives again.