Zion Williamson on return to lineup, third quarters | New Orleans Pelicans

Zion Williamson on return to lineup, third quarters | New Orleans Pelicans

So, what’s it been like for you just uh trying to regain your rhythm and kind of see where you fit in with the group as the kind of, you know, the rotation has evolved? It’s actually been a pretty uh easy process. Uh, you know, guys have been sharing the ball. The movement on offense has been better. Uh, so finding my rhythm has been pretty easy this time around. And what been your early impressions of, um, Coach Bargo? Uh, me and JB, uh, we’ve always had a great relationship. Uh, you know, I had a conversation with him about, you know, I know he’s in a tough spot with everything that went on. Um, but, you know, he’s, uh, I think he’s been doing a great job, uh, finding identity, uh, for the team, and, you know, the guys are behind him, the staff is behind him, so, you know, we’re with them. What are some places that you still want to see improvement in? Like the rebounding’s up, the pace is up under JB. What else do you want to see, though? Um, our defense could always be better. And that third quarter, we granted we did we did okay last night, but that third quarter has been a big problem for us. Can you explain that third quarter? It’s a mystery to all of us. We’ve been trying to figure it out, but when you look at it, we start off slow. We don’t have a lot of energy. We don’t get in a sets with pace as for the other team. They’ll come out there, punch us in the mouth, get into their sets of pace, get into transition, be physical on defense. So, it’s just things we got to fine-tune and just we just got to be better at it. J moving a lot of different uh pieces across the board like chess pieces, put uh DQ at the top of the key, put you as a ball handler. Um a lot of different people sending screens, actions going on both sides. Just what kind of advantages do you think that’s like offering you guys? Um, it’s opened up the floor for us in terms of space because we have a lot of guys that can bring the ball up and then with the four out, one end spacing, five out spacing. And then, you know, DQ is a big part of that. Uh, when he’s up top, when we’re in our auto action, because he can go make a play, get to the basket or get a bucket, it opens up the game for myself, MV, when uh guys are trying to put a lot of tension on us and vice versa. It seems like uh they’ve been running some pistol action for you to just get going downhill. Um do do you feel like that allows you to just attack the defense uh on movement like stuff? Uh it definitely does allow me to attack the defense uh with a guard guarding me. But on top of that, they’ve switched a match up they probably didn’t want to switch. So when I make that initial pass, their whole defense is in rotation. What’s it been like just seeing DQ find his way uh as his role has has grown? Man, what do you think about just how y’all compliment each other when y’all out there together? Uh, we compliment each other very well. I feel like it’s a, you know, it’s pretty natural. And then with the actions JB put in, you know, it’s uh, it’s pretty well for us. But I also want to talk about fears and PE. Pee has been doing a great job. Whenever he’s given an assignment, he does his job. And, you know, fears, his game speaks for itself. when uh when he has the ball and he’s pushing the pace like that, it’s it’s big time for us. So, you know, all three of our rookies have been doing their thing. What did you think of uh Eve last night? The way he played in the paint. Uh honestly, in my opinion, Eve was uh Eve and Sadique were the players of the game. Uh Eve was really big for us uh on the old boards, running the floor defensively. Um, and then you know, Sadique with with his boards, his impact on offense and just his overall impact to the game. Those two were big for us last night. See, it looks like JB has tied Fierce to you in terms of the rotations when you guys leave the game, come in the game. What are you talking him about? Because there’s times where he seems like he’s really aggressive. Other times, he kind of turns that switch off. Uh, I talk to him when I feel like he’s turning the switch off and I’ll just tell him, “Dude, keep going. If you got it, keep going.” And I’m never going I’m never going to tell him to not be who he is. I’m like, if you see it, go. But if it’s four people down there, bring it back out and get us get us into a set. But don’t ever be afraid to go. Is he Are you worried at all about giving him too much information cuz he’s so young, right? 19. Uh just turned 19 on there. Uh in general with rookies that come in, you don’t want to overfeed them with information. Um, so with him is be yourself, keep going, and if there’s something I feel like he needs to be better at in that moment, I’ll say it. But overall, you don’t want to overfeed him with information. Has the team talked to you much about back to back yet? Like you going to be able to play through him or do you know yet or uh I’ll let the team uh decide that in terms once we talked together about it uh and that’s all I can say on that matter. And you were out when nothing. What was your reaction when the coaching change was made? Uh, you know, uh, it was tough, but at the end of the day, you know, it’s a business. Uh, and that’s that’s not for coach, that’s that’s for players as well. Like, as y’all saw, Luca got traded in the middle of the season last year. Uh, that can happen to any of us. So, it was a it was a reminder that this is a business and, you know, we just we got to do our job. And I know you talked earlier in the season about wanting to be more of a vocal presence with this younger group. How do you try to use your voice during times like that to kind of, you know, be the guideline for some of the younger guys? Uh, I mean, with these three dudes, man, they’re so they’re really receptive and they’re and they all have personalities, so it’s it’s pretty easy communicate with them. Like even when you trying to when you getting on them about something, you know, they’re receptive to it and they going to go out there and make it happen. your your fellow South Carolina guy, Bryce, has been working his way into the rotation. Had a pretty impactful night last night. Just what has he been able to bring to the table? Uh, you know, he’s been working really hard. You see him every day in the gym. And you know when his number’s called like him and peeve when a number’s called and an assignment is given to them they go out there and make it

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson speaks with the media after practice in the Ochsner Sports Performance Center on Nov. 25, 2025.
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