New Orleans Pelicans vs. Utah Jazz: 3 takeaways from the restart opener

Zion, in spurts, was as good as advertised

Before the game started, it was reported that Zion Williamson, who was a game-time decision due to conditioning (he had to leave and later return to the NBA’s bubble due to a family matter), would indeed play in the Pelicans’ restart opener against the Jazz. However, it would not be Zion completely unleashed.

Zion would play in spurts, according to the team. While we didn’t know exactly what that would mean, once the game began it became clear that we were not going to see very much of Zion consecutively. During the first quarter, Zion plays three minutes off the bat after starting. In the second quarter, he played a little more than three minutes, and in the third quarter, he played four minutes.

During the fourth quarter, he played five minutes. Despite only playing 15 minutes, Zion still finished with 13 points on a near-perfect 6-8 shooting from the floor. Even in a limited role for the Pelicans, you could feel the intensity change when he was on the floor. It won’t reflect it on the stat sheet, but Zion is a force and that was very much clear in the NBA’s re-opening game. The Pelicans are going to be a load once they’re at full strength, with Zion playing a full slate.