NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – In last Sunday’s 114-104 win over the Bulls, Pelicans star Zion Williamson did something he’s never done before in his basketball career.
He came off the bench.
New Orleans Pelicans’ Zion Williamson, right, battles Chicago Bulls’ Zach Collins (12) for the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)(Paul Beaty | AP)
The move came after his most recent injury kept him sidelined for a week and a half before his early return in Chicago on the road.
The move to bring Williamson off the bench mirrors one interim coach James Borrego made with guard Jordan Poole, who returned on Dec. 11 in a 143-120 win over Portland after missing most of the early season. Poole contributed a key 22 point in that win.
Despite not being in the starting five, Williamson looked like his usual efficient self with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists in 27 minutes of play. He also had a couple of clutch buckets down the stretch.
“Coach JB communicated with me earlier in the day,” Williamson said in a postgame interview on Sunday. “It was a gameplan that allowed me to close the game… He walked me through it, I didn’t have a problem with it… Whatever this team needs me to do to win, I’m gonna do it.”
Borrego’s switch-up to faster paced offense has become noticeable. In the team’s last 20 games, they’ve only scored below 110 points twice. It seems to be benefiting the Pelicans’ rookies’ development, who appear to have solidified two spots in the starting five. With Poole and Williamson back in the mix, Borrego now has to solve a rotational mystery.
“Were gonna figure this out,“ Borrego said after Sunday’s win. ”He came in and gave us great energy. He had sustained energy… It gave him the ability to close in a way that wasn’t condensed or rushed.”
Thursday night (Dec. 18) the Pelicans face the Houston Rockets who are one of the best teams in the West with a record of 16-7. It’s a youthful roster led by one elder statesman in Kevin Durant. In New Orleans, they’ll face a youthful squad that is slowly beginning to learn how to win despite holding a 5-22 record.
It also remains to be seen if the immediate path forward for Williamson is to continue to come off the bench as he works through another comeback from injuries.
It will all unfold tonight on Fox 8 and the Gulf Coast Sports and Entertainment Network. Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m.
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