Williamson had a historic performance in Saturday's loss, becoming the first player in NBA history to record 40+ points, 4+ assists, and 2+ steals while shooting over 76% from the field and playing 28 minutes or less, via Stathead.

The player he is now is better than he’s ever been.” The potential for Williamson's rare combination of raw athletic ability, explosiveness and size (listed at 6-foot-6, 284 pounds) to translate in the NBA has been evident since his first few games on the court back in late January 2020 — after the first of what has become several long injury absences.

A few dead teams across the NBA are essentially playing for pride the rest of the way—New Orleans is one of said teams. A forgettable 2024-25 campaign began in the preseason when Dejounte Murray suffered the team’s first significant injury.