The 2021-22 NBA playoffs are in full swing, with the first round of 8 group duels having been divided into winners and losers, and the next is going to be a brutal division semifinals. The Heat, 76ers, Bucks and Celtics advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and the Suns, Mavericks, Grizzlies and Warriors advance to the Western Conference Semifinals, and all eight teams will compete for a place in the division finals to continue to impact this season's NBA championship.
When a team advances, naturally there are teams that are eliminated, and the Pelicans are among the teams that are eliminated. However, the Pelicans are a tenacious team. He first entered the playoffs with a 9th place in the West, and then advanced to the playoffs through a playoff counterattack. The first round opponent was the Sun with the highest record in the league, but the Pelicans still fought with the Suns for 6 games. In the end, the Pelicans lost 2-4 to the Suns, regrettably stopping the first round of the playoffs.
Although the Pelicans were eliminated, let's not forget one thing, the Pelicans lacked Zion's powerful interior line from beginning to end. In fact, Zion has missed games throughout the season, either in the regular season or in the playoffs, and Zion hasn't played a single game for the Pelicans this season. Today, Zion has basically escaped the haze of injury, and in the final stages of the regular season, Zion has participated in low-intensity 5V5 training.
Now that 5V5 training is possible, why has Zion not made a comeback? It was mainly the pelicans management and coaching staff who decided not to risk letting Zion play. However, Zion himself is more inclined to comeback, he revealed his comeback plan in an interview with the media, Zion said: "I originally planned to grab seven comebacks, I wanted to surprise the fans, but unfortunately G6 is over, which is really frustrating! ”
In fact, Zion, as a member of the Pelicans, naturally hopes that the Pelicans can drag the series into the game of seven. However, it makes sense that the Suns were able to finish first in the league, and the Suns did not give the Pelicans that chance. Now that the Pelicans have been eliminated, Zion revealed that he had planned to grab a comeback, whether this is a joke or not, Zion has expressed his attitude to the outside world. From Zion's own response, it can be seen that he is now in good physical condition. As long as you continue to adjust in the offseason, I believe that Zion will definitely let fans see a brand new Yuanlang next season.
According to NBA salary expert Yossi Gozlan, Zion is expected to sign a five-year, $185.7 million early contract extension with the Pelicans this summer. Not only that, Yossi Gozlan also said that if the Pelicans add the bonus clause, such as being selected to the best team next season, as long as Zion can complete this condition, then Zion can renew his contract for up to 222.9 million for 5 years. Do you think the Pelicans would offer Zion such a lucrative contract? Feel free to leave your thoughts!