Is Zion Williamson playing tonight against the Chicago Bulls? Latest on star forward's status (Dec. 2)

Zion Williamson is expected to play against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, December 2. The star forward has been in the team's rotation throughout the opening months of the season and is finally stringing together some consistency after years of injury issues.

The New Orleans Pelicans currently boast an 11-9 record despite dealing with injuries to key contributors such as CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy III. After navigating a difficult stretch, the Pelicans are starting to get their core rotation on the court and should be excited about what's to come.

Zion will now get the opportunity to shine alongside McCollum and Brandon Ingram. The floor spacing those two will provide should ensure Zion has plenty of space to attack the lane and pressure the rim, which plays directly into the bulldozing forward's strengths.

What has been interesting to begin the season is how Willie Green has used Zion as a secondary offensive option behind Brandon Ingram.

Now that the roster is slowly getting back to full strength, it will be fun to see whether Zion takes his place as the lead offensive weapon, stays as a secondary option, or falls further down the pecking order behind McCollum.

Of course, the Pelicans are all-in on the Zion experience, so the front office likely won't take kindly to any decisions that could lead to their star player becoming unhappy or disillusioned with life in New Orleans.

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Zion Williamson can make the New Orleans Pelicans contenders

Zion Williamson is a huge swing factor for the New Orleans Pelicans if he can remain healthy and continue building up his overall fitness. His elite physical strength and second jump make him a nightmare matchup for even the strongest players in the NBA.

Zion has also been used in a point-forward role at times, which has helped develop his ball-handling and decision-making skills. This could give the Pelicans an excellent option of using Zion as a secondary ball-handler in the half-court against defenses that like to shut down driving lanes and clog passing lanes.

Still, the best way to elevate Zion's game is to space the floor around him. Utilizing his unique frame in stampede actions and as an off-ball slasher will give the Pelicans an unlimited amount of rim pressure, especially in early offense and transition situations.

Willie Green will need to ensure he's heavily featuring Zion within the Pelicans game plan, as he is the undoubted star of the team. As long as he can stay healthy, of course.