Zion Williamson slimmer, optimistic Pelicans eye healthy season

NEW ORLEANS — Zion Williamson arrived at the New Orleans Pelicans media day on Tuesday noticeably slimmer and upbeat, telling reporters he "hasn't felt like this since college" as the team and new front office officials pressed him to translate offseason conditioning into season-long availability. The transformation, captured in viral photos and onstage comments at Loyola University, offered a renewed — if cautious — sense of optimism for a franchise whose fortunes have repeatedly turned on Williamson's health.

Williamson said he followed a strict conditioning program this summer under Pelicans trainer Daniel Bove that included boxing workouts and drills on football fields, and that he and the team developed a regimen that helped him "reshape my body" and feel more durable. He described close conversations with newly installed executive vice president Joe Dumars and senior vice president Troy Weaver about accountability and responsibility, saying Dumars will "hold me to a really high standard" and that he does not want to let the organization down.

Coach Willie Green and teammates echoed the cautious enthusiasm. Green has long said that when Williamson is available he is among...