I feel good physically, I’ll be back “when I feel like Zion”

Williamson, who has been out since Jan. 2 while recovering from a right hamstring strain, spoke to reporters Tuesday before the Pelicans’ game with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.

“It was frustrating,” Williamson said. “I’m not going to lie to you. It was so frustrating. Not being able to play is miserable. But I mean, it got better. It got a lot better.”

When asked how close he came to feeling ready to play, Williamson replied, “Physically I’m fine, now it’s just a matter of when I feel like Zion. I know the atmosphere I’m going to get into based on playoff experience. So. Now it’s just a matter of when I feel like Zion.”

What exactly does that look like?

“I don’t feel like there are any set standards for being a Zionist,” Williamson said. “It’s just a matter of like, you know, when I feel like me. I just feel like me and I know I can go out there and make a big impact on my team.”

Williamson didn’t play at all last season due to a broken right foot and was in the same position last April as the Pelicans made it past the tournament and got the No. 8 seed. This season, the Pelicans also have to win two games in tournament play in order to secure a first-round match. Against the #1 ranked Denver Nuggets.

When explaining the mental hurdles of getting back into the game, Williamson noted not wanting to negatively impact the team when on the court due to any lingering indecision.

“It’s a bit of a mental battle, because you know when you’re exacerbated [the injury] It was hard, Williamson said last February. So when I go make some moves, there’s this hesitation. Sometimes there isn’t, and sometimes there is. I understand the magnitude of these upcoming matches and I don’t want to be hesitant or do something that might affect my team in a bad way.”

Williamson added that he knows “it’s going to be in [his] head” when trying out to play.

If the Pelicans beat the Thunder on Wednesday, they will advance to face the loser of Tuesday’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Williamson would not play in either of those games, but when asked if he could play in the first-round series against the Nuggets, Zion said, “If I feel like Zion, I’ll be there.”

Williamson described it as a “collective decision” between him and the team about when he would return.

Williamson also said he did his best to block out the online noise and instead focus on the big picture.

“It’s hard. I can’t lie,” Williamson said. “From my point of view, I just want to play basketball. I want to play basketball, I want to play the game I love. But the truth is whether I’m checking my phone, whether I’m just watching TV, no matter what, I can’t escape what What the world thinks, and what people’s opinions are. So, it’s frustrating.”

Williamson has played 29 matches this season and missed the final 45 due to a hamstring injury. He averaged 26 points and 7 rebounds while shooting 60.8% from the field and was named an All-Star Player, although an injury kept him out of the game.

He got caught up on the sidelines watching his team try to get back into the playoffs for the second year in a row, but that didn’t make the situation any easier.

“I mean, that sucks,” Williamson said. “I don’t know how to say it otherwise. It’s just annoying. I love this game. I say it over and over again. For those people who think I just want to sit on the sidelines just to sit there, I don’t know why people think that, but no, that sucks. I want to play basketball for real.”