Zion’s stepfather ‘expects him to play’ this season

Lee Anderson, the stepfather of New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson, explains that he “expects him to play” before the Pelicans season is over. 

As the NBA season draws to a close, the chatter concerning Zion’s return has become less relevant than it was at the beginning of the season. The Pels, which once battled with the Houston Rockets for the bottom spot in the Western Conference, currently have the edge over the San Antonio Spurs for the No. 9 spot, making their play-in hopes come alive.

They did it without seeing Zion ever set foot on the court, but according to those within Zion’s camp, there is still hope that Williamson could return to the hardwood should the Pelicans extend their season. Zion’s stepfather Lee Anderson spoke on The Jordy Culotta Show about how he “expects” Zion to play this season.

“Do I expect him to play? That’s a tough question. Certainly, I expect him to play. Certainly I do. And if you were to ask Zion, I’m sure he would probably say the same thing with just a couple games left.

But, with the magnitude of what’s going on in the city of New Orleans and the opportunity to qualify for the play-in game and possibly get into a seven-game series, that would be off the charts in the city of New Orleans.”

Anderson reiterated that he is not a medical professional and is not making a medical evaluation, but he and Williamson both believe that there’s still hope for an early 2022 return.

Zion Williamson’s stepfather Lee Anderson “expects” a Pelicans return this season

The month of March began with promising news for Pels fans awaiting Zion’s return, with the Pelicans announcing on March 5 that Williamson had returned from his rehab in Portland, Oregon and was cleared to return to basketball activities.

A few weeks later on March 21, Charania broke less uplifting news: while Zion made his first multi-game road trip of the season, he remained out “indefinitely.”

Anderson’s expectation may not hinge on a return to the regular season as much as the play-in tournament. The final days of the 2021-22 NBA season are April 9-10, while the play-in tournament is scheduled for April 12-15.

If dunks are indicative of healing and progress, Zion has shown that he is close to a possible return—but a full return means that the Pelicans need to extend their playoff run for as long as possible.