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It's been a while since fans caught a glimpse of two-time NBA All-Star Zion Williamson. After all, he was not available to play when the New Orleans Pelicans faced the OKC Thunder in the first round of the 2024 playoffs due to his hamstring strain.
While enjoying his offseason, the 2019 No. 1 pick opted to go for a new look by growing out his beard.
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Fans who saw Zion's new look saw a strong resemblance between him and the 2024 Finals MVP, Jaylen Brown.
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"Damn Jaylen Brown gained weight fast," reese.almendarez joked.
"use me (as) a he look like Jaylen Brown button," @alphakabinee commented.
"(He) seen Jaylen Brown get Finals MVP & said 'I can't wait until Halloween,'" jayprezi replied.
Meanwhile, other fans just straight-up roasted Zion for the new look that he chose for himself.
"It don't look right," mcflyy shared.
"Bro beard look like he got a face mask on," jiggy.sosaa added.
"Bro went out and grew a neck beard?" z_calandrino said.
Since Zion Williamson hasn't posted any photos of himself on his Instagram account since growing his beard out, many are seeing it for the first time, and it has certainly caught some off guard.
New Orleans Pelicans front office could trade for another star to play alongside Zion Williamson
On paper, the team of Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson seems like it should be a formidable group. However, due to unforeseen circumstances such as injuries, this core has not found much success.
This offseason, the Pelicans have a chance to make some moves to improve their roster by making a significant trade for one of the All-Star guards who are reportedly available.
According to Pelicans beat writer Christian Clark, the New Orleans front office was already in contact with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks before the 2023-24 season's trade deadline. Those talks stalled, but now is a good time to revisit them.
The Hawks seem like they are willing to part ways with either Dejounte Murray or Trae Young, and pairing Zion with either of these star-caliber guards could help reinvigorate the team.
Both Murray and Young are capable of creating offense not only for themselves, but also for others, and could be an upgrade over Brandon Ingram who was the team's leading playmaker in the previous season (5.7 assists per game, 363 total).
On the other hand, they could acquire Darius Garland from the Cavs, whose name has been sporadically mentioned in trade talks.
Acquiring an All-Star guard with a penchant for setting up their teammates could benefit Zion Williamson, provided that he stays healthy.
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