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By Matt Levine
Contributing Sports Writer
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The New Orleans Pelicans are looking to bring the fire this season after another quick playoff exit last season. New Orleans finished as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, losing in the first round to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Part of this has been poor roster construction around their star players but it has also been due to injuries. New Orleans has seen multiple key players go down with injuries in the past few years, at the most inopportune times.
One of these players who has dealt with injury is former No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson. Willamson's career has been derailed by injuries since entering the league in 2019 as one of the more promising NBA prospects in decades.
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With Williamson on the court, the Pelicans have been a force to deal with. However, his body has let him down time after time.
But entering this crucial upcoming season, Williamson is looking for some redemption. He outlined his goals for the NBA season in the simplest terms possible.
"I'm out for straight vengeance," Williamson says. "Not against any particular person. Just for myself."
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Williamson got hurt down the stretch of the Pelicans play-in game against the Los Angeles Lakers last season. He ended up missing the rest of the year so he is looking to pick up where he left off.
The former Duke product dropped 40 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists before going down with an injury. New Orleans may have still lost the game if Williamson didn't get hurt but their chances to win would have increased heavily.
Pelicans head coach Willie Green has worked with Williamson for a few years now and has seen his growth during that time.
"His focus, his attention to detail, his work away from the court ... it's all coming together," Pelicans coach Willie Green said last April. "We all can see how badly he wants it. It's been great to see his confidence grow every single day now that he's locked in with his routine."
For New Orleans to do anything of significance this season, Williamson will need to be the star that he is. Playing alongside Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, and new addition Dejounte Murray, Williams has a path to success.
It will be tough in the loaded Western Conference but this team doesn't lack any confidence. With Williamson leading the charge, New Orleans feels good about their chances of going up against any team in the NBA.
For more Pelicans news and updates, make sure to head over to Newsweek Sports.
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