The New Orleans Pelicans faced off against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night and it was quite a game.
Jose Alvarado of the Pelicans was the biggest star, securing a career-high 38 points and receiving thunderous applause from the crowd.
But there was another Pelicans player who was cleaning up on both ends of the court: Zion Williamson.
He was good for 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.
This was just another in a long string of great games for the superstar since his much-heralded return to the league.
Why is it that you hear more about Zion Williamson on a national level when he’s hurt than when he’s producing?
Over the Pelicans’ last 5 games, he’s averaging:
26.4 ppg
9.8 rpg
5.2 apgWith an average of playing 32.6 minutes per game
— Jesse Brooks (@jessecbrooks) December 3, 2022
NBA writer Jesse Brooks thinks the big man isn’t getting enough love.
“Why is it that you hear more about Zion Williamson on a national level when he’s hurt than when he’s producing?” he asked on Twitter.
He pointed out that over the last 5 games, Williamson has averaged 26.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists with an average of 32.6 minutes per game.
It is true that Williamson is playing some fearsome, epic basketball and it’s also true that he isn’t receiving as much attention as he did when he was hurt.
Will this only fuel the fire inside of him more?
Williamson’s Revenge Season
Just a few months ago some people were publicly wondering if Williamson would ever play basketball again.
Recovery from his foot injury took an awfully long time and speculation reigned about him possibly leaving the Pelicans or just hanging it up entirely.
But Williamson repeatedly said he was going to come back and prove everyone wrong.
Consider that done: the big man is putting up 23.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists a game.
He is also playing with the sort of athleticism and power that fans were eager to see.
Yes, his absence earned him a lot of nasty headlines and attention but now Williamson is back and building his legacy.
