Report: Pelicans teaching Zion Williamson to walk and run differently

Zion Williamson’s return from a knee injury is taking longer than expected, and that’s because the New Orleans Pelicans reportedly are working hard to makeover the No. 1 pick in many ways.

During the first quarter of Wednesday’s Pelicans-Denver Nuggets game, ESPN’s Jorge Sedano gave a sideline report talking about Williamson’s progress. In the report, Sedano shared that the Pelicans are reprogramming Williamson.

The Pelicans are “reprogramming [Williamson] physically,” Sedano said. “It’s all about the kinetic chain of the body, even teaching him to walk and run differently. He mentioned the staff gets on him when he’s not doing it right.”

Sedano said that Williamson told him he’d already be back playing if the team let him.

“If it were up to me, I’d be out there already, but I trust the organization and how they’re handling me,” Williamson told Sedano.

Williamson is currently doing individual and group drills, but no 5-on-5 work yet. The Pelicans would like to have him doing 5-on-5 drills after the new year, according to the report.

Williamson was initially expected to miss 6-8 weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his knee in October and has gone past that time frame. It seems a little odd that the Pelicans want to remake such a stellar athlete, but like Williamson said, he is trusting them. The Pelicans recently said they will not rush him back.