The New Orleans Pelicans are in the driver's seat to win their first Southwest Division title since 2008, and it's largely thanks to the recent buy-in from star forward Zion Williamson.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst explained on Monday's episode of The Hoop Collective (42:50 mark) that Williamson's commitment to getting in better shape over the past few months has fueled the Pelicans' success.

"I've got people in New Orleans telling me that since December when the In-Season Tournament happened, that Zion Williamson has lost 25 or more pounds, and his performance has been excellent," Windhorst said. "He's playing fewer minutes and I think that helps as well, but I've got people telling me he's lost 25 pounds. And I don't mean like in the past where they say, 'Oh, he's added muscle' and it's like, 'Has he?'"

The Pelicans' loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the semifinals of the In-Season Tournament was the wake-up call that Williamson needed. He failed to show up in a nationally televised showdown against the legendary LeBron James, scoring just 13 points in a 133-89 blowout loss. He faced a slew of detractors for his performance in that game, but he looks like a completely different player now.

Williamson, who leads the Pelicans with 22.6 points per game, has averaged 23.9 points on 62.5 percent shooting in the month of March so far. New Orleans (41-26) has won eight of its nine games this month and leads the Dallas Mavericks by 2.5 games in the Southwest Division.

Williamson and the Pelicans will look to keep the momentum going when they begin a four-game road trip on Tuesday in a matchup against the Brooklyn Nets (26-42).

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