Zion Williamson’s return means the Pelicans have meaningful games to play this season
In a city and a Gulf Coast region where the Saints, LSU and preps have a cult-like hold on young and old fans alike, Zion Williamson is a welcomed addition to the local sports scene, a breath of fresh air in a southerly climate that seems to rain footballs 24-7.
The 19-year-old No. 1 overall pick of the 2019 NBA draft drew rave reviews after his highly-anticipated debut Wednesday night at the Smoothie King Center, suggesting there could be three more meaningful months to the regular season for the potentially relevant New Orleans Pelicans.
Williamson punctuated his 18-minute performance by scoring 17 consecutive points in the fourth quarter, wowing the sellout crowd and briefly pulling the Pels ahead of the San Antonio Spurs before going to the bench on the advice of team doctors.
The youthful face of the franchise is playing himself into NBA basketball shape after coming off surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee and three months of rehabilitation. Doctors have put him on a restricted minute count for the foreseeable future.
On this night, it mattered little that the Pels lost, only that Zion Williamson didn’t disappoint. Based on overnight reviews on cable TV sports shows and comments made on social media, a superstar was born.
Time will tell.
If Williamson stays healthy, and that’s a major concern for a 6-foot-6, 285-pound freak of nature, the Pels might be able to overcome their double-digit games under 500 start and sneak into the playoffs.
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I reference Williamson’s debut because it happened in our backyard. His story is huge in terms of the big sports picture. ESPN moved the Pels-Spurs tipoff back 90 minutes in order to air the game to a national audience.
His debut coincided with several other major football stories involving three notable local quarterbacks.
▪ Two-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback Eli Manning, 39, announced his retirement after 16 mostly-stellar seasons with the New York Giants. A native of New Orleans, Manning prepped at Isadore Newman School and starred at Ole Miss from 2000 to 2003. He is the youngest of three sons born to Archie and Olivia Manning and younger brother of future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.
Incidentally, there is another Manning quarterback on the horizon.
Arch Manning, the oldest son of former Ole Miss wide receiver Cooper Manning, started as a freshman at Newman this past season. Grandfather Archie Manning proclaims grandson Arch is ahead of both Peyton and Eli at his age.
▪ Saints free agent quarterback Drew Brees hasn’t settled on his plans for the 2020 season. And, it appears team officials are in no immediate hurry to pin down the 41-year-old face of the franchise.
“I wanted to give it at least a few weeks, months, postseason,” Brees said this week while preparing to play in Sunday’s Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. “Just to take a deep breath and decompress a little bit and get some time with the family and then just reassess.”
Free agency begins March 18. In a perfect world, Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis would like to know Brees’ intentions well in advance of that date so he can plan accordingly for free agency.
Saints officials were out in full force at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.
▪ Talk heated up this week concerning the landing spot for former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, a popular pick by many talent scouts to become the No. 1 overall pick of the NFL draft April 23-25 in Las Vegas.
Most mock drafts have Burrow going to the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 1. But the Miami Dolphins at No. 5 and Carolina Panthers at No. 7 reportedly might be interested in trading up to get Burrow, who led the undefeated Tigers to the national championship and won the Heisman Trophy in a landslide vote.
In Carolina, Burrow would be reunited with former LSU passing game coordinator Joe Brady, who recently left the Tigers to become offensive coordinator under Panthers’ rookie head coach Matt Rhule.
▪ One final football nugget to chew on. Brees’ oldest child is 11-year-old Baylen Brees, who currently attends Newman School and plays flag football. Is it possible that young Brees would move under center at Newman when young Arch Manning graduates in 2023?
Food for thought.
This story was originally published January 23, 2020 at 3:49 PM.
