Pelicans Media Day 2020: Zion Williamson Talks Brandon Ingram, Stan Van Gundy

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson said Wednesday he feels "great" both mentally and physically heading into the 2020-21 NBA season. 

Williamson spoke about a variety of topics, including his health, during his media session as the Pelicans opened training camp:

The start of the 20-year-old Duke product's NBA career was delayed over two months while he recovered from a knee injury. He shined upon his return to the floor, averaging 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists across 24 appearances as a rookie.

Expectations are on the rise for New Orleans with a core featuring Williamson, Lonzo Ball, Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Ingram, who recently signed a five-year, $158.3 million contract extension.

Williamson congratulated Ingram on his new deal and said they're excited to work together moving forward:

The Pelicans also hired Stan Van Gundy as their new head coach. He owns a 523-384 career coaching record (.577 winning percentage) across prior stints with the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons.

Williamson said Van Gundy's old-school vibes remind him of his stepfather, Lee Anderson, as well as Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski:

Although the Pelicans are a team on the rise, the Western Conference is absolutely loaded, so a playoff berth is far from guaranteed.

That said, a fully healthy Williamson is a great sign with the regular season slated to tip off Dec. 22.