Zion Williamson may finally be taking the advice of critics to heart.
This week on “The Hoop Collective,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that the New Orleans Pelicans star has lost significant weight since the bubble.
“I was told that Zion, and I don’t think they really wanted to publicize where he was physically when he came back to the bubble, but I have heard that it’s in excess of 25 pounds he’s lost from where he was in the bubble to where he is now,” said Windhorst, per RealGM. “He is not as svelte by any stretch of the imagination, but he definitely is moving better.”
Williamson, 20, played his rookie season at a listed weight of 284 pounds. For a player who is 6-foot-6 and heavily reliant on athleticism, that was definitely a cause for concern. Those concerns came to fruition when Williamson missed the start of the season due to meniscus surgery, ultimately appearing in just 24 games all year.
The former No. 1 overall pick was also still on a minutes limit in the bubble but finished the season with averages of 22.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Many, including Williamson’s own sponsors, would like to see him lose weight. Now that he seems to be doing so, it could be the first step in unlocking Williamson’s true potential.
