Fans of the New Orleans Pelicans have been eagerly anticipating the start of the 2022-23 season.
It’s not just because the team did surprisingly well last year and it feels like great things are on the horizon.
No, followers of the Pels are elated because 2022 will mark the return of the team’s centerpiece, Zion Williamson.
Williamson has been away from the game for more than a year as he has rehabbed from a serious foot injury but he looks ready to go.
Now we know when he will fire up his engines once again.
Notable opener on NBA schedule: New Orleans at Brooklyn on Oct. 19, sources tell me and @WillGuillory, featuring the regular-season returns of All-Stars Zion Williamson and Ben Simmons.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 16, 2022
On October 19, the Pelicans will face off against the Brooklyn Nets in New York.
This will be the first time that fans have seen Williamson play in ages – and it will also be the first time that Ben Simmons has ever suited up for his Nets.
This is going to be must-see TV.
Winning With Williamson
There is a lot riding on Williamson’s return to his team.
The squad showed an awful lot of promise without him but they are very excited to have him back, healthier and stronger than ever.
If the team was able to make the playoffs last season without Williamson, imagine what they can accomplish when he is back and tearing through the competition like a runaway freight train.
As for the Nets, opening night will be interesting because it will have Simmons finally playing for the team – but he might be missing his two biggest co-stars.
We don’t know what is happening with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving but there is a good chance neither player is on the Nets’ roster when the new season starts.
As you can see, this scheduled game will have plenty of reasons to watch.