Zion Williamson addresses his strong performance in Pelicans season opener

Zion Williamson didn’t miss a beat in his return to the court on NBA’s opening night. Defeating the Brooklyn Nets 130-108 at the Barclays Center, the former Duke superstar seemed to be in mid-season form after missing all of last year with a foot injury.

“It’s been so long that I forgot that I have that kind of impact when it comes to certain things,” Williamson said after the New Orleans Pelicans win. “I don’t really notice it until my teammates say something like, ‘that’s different!’ Like bro, what are you talking about? That goes into the allure of the game, just being out there, feeling the energy from the crowd, from my teammates, just from the game itself.”

Going up against one of the Eastern Conference’s best in the Nets, Williamson recorded 25 points, nine rebounds, four steals and three assists in the 22-point victory. He played 30 minutes in the contest, and despite it being his first time back in a legitimate game in 17 months, he was able to shake the rust off quickly and contribute in a huge was for the win.

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Of course, these types of performances are what’s expected out of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. In his lone season with the Blue Devils, the Pelicans star averaged nearly 23 points, nine rebounds and two blocks per game. He was touted as a one-of-a-kind player, and his opening night performance is a testament to that.

Williamson’s teammate, a former Duke star as well, Brandon Ingram had a team-high 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists. CJ McCollum (21), Trey Murphy III (16) and Jonas Valanciunas (15) all scored in double figures as well.

The Pelicans will matchup against the Charlotte Hornets Friday to complete the two-game road trip to being the season. They’ll be back in New Orleans Sunday night when they host the Utah Jazz inside the Smoothie King Center.