Pelicans' Hernangomez: Hungry Zion 'wants to destroy everybody'

New Orleans Pelicans center Willy Hernangomez is putting the rest of the NBA on notice about teammate Zion Williamson entering this season.

Speaking Tuesday ahead of the Pelicans' preseason opener, Hernangomez discussed how motivated Williamson is to prove himself after missing the entire 2021-22 campaign.

"The most important thing is he's hungry. He wants to destroy everybody," Hernangomez said, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com. "He wants to play hard. He wants to show people he's one of the best players in the world. You can see that in practice."

A foot injury sidelined Williamson for all of last season after he averaged 27 points and 7.2 rebounds on 61.1% shooting as a rookie. The 22-year-old signed a five-year, $193-million extension with the Pelicans in July that will keep him under contract through the 2027-28 season.