New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson hasn't played this season after undergoing surgery to repair a foot fracture he suffered in the offseason.

While communication on his recovery has been lacking, NBA reporter Shams Charania of The Athletic reported this week Williamson was not expected to get back on the floor this season.

Tuesday evening, Zion released a new video on his Instagram story that got social media chirping.

An impressive dunk, no doubt, but it the post is calculated.

What kind of message is Zion sending?

It could be a message to the reports he won't return this season, implying he could.

More than likely, it's a message to the Pelicans medical staff that he feels he's ready to play, and perhaps thinks he should have a target return date before the season wraps.

As Pelicans beat writer Christian Clark reports, Williamson wants to play.

New Orleans appears to be heading to the play-in portion of the postseason, currently sitting at 10th in the West, with a strong opportunity to move up to 9th.

Williamson has yet to practice with the team, but he reportedly feels like he should be getting back on the floor before the season ends.

On another note, is the floor in the video padded?

Drafted #1 overall out of Duke in 2019, Zion has only played 85 career games with New Orleans due to injury issues.

He is eligible for a contract extension this summer. If he agreed to one, it would likely guarantee him a nine-figure deal.

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