The Zion Williamson Situation Is Concerning
In last night’s In-Season Tournament semifinal, it seemed we were in for a thrilling match-up between the Lakers and Pelicans to determine our finalist in the Western Conference bracket. However, instead, we got an absolute beatdown, with LA winning 133–89.
With New Orleans finally getting back to relative full health, it seemed as though they were primed to finally figure things out fully. Still, they have remained a middling team, which is very disappointing considering the depth of great talent on the roster. Worse than any results from the team, though, is the news swirling around Zion Williamson, as there seems to be a strong disconnect between himself and the organization.
After their embarrassing loss, many fans and media alike pointed to the shape Zion had been in as something that was concerning and possibly a reason for him being somewhat of a disappointment so far this season. Just after all that noise had been circulating, the report came out that the Pelicans “have repeatedly stressed to [Zion] Williamson that his diet and conditioning need to improve,” but the former №1 pick “doesn’t listen,” per @cclark_13 of The Times-Picayune. I truly think the timing of this coming out after there had already been so much negative attention directed at Williamson could have irreparable damage on a relationship that already felt somewhat jaded.
Looking in retrospect, Zion’s entire time in New Orleans has really been such a strange one. There seems to have always been some tension between himself and the front office. The management of Zion’s many injuries has always been very strange, as the organization typically remained very ambiguous about what was actually going on with him, and his timelines to return were always very vague or entirely wrong. Then reports would come to light about him being frustrated with the organization and vice versa. Every time Zion would be out of hiding from the public, his weight was a huge topic of discussion, and its wild fluctuations would lead to whispers about him potentially being unprofessional with his lifestyle choices off the court. There were also many times when Zion would come out with a strange quote while speaking to the media, this even happening early in the year when he mentioned having some difficulties buying into the team, and every time one of these quotes came out, they would always fall into a gray area as he would allude to certain things but would never elaborate on any of his thoughts. So we as fans were left with a foggy situation where both sides remained professional to the public, but there was clearly something deeper going on behind the scenes.
But even with all that previous noise, this seemed like the year that would all be put to rest. As Zion looked to be in shape and was coming into the season fully healthy, ready to show why he was one of the most highly touted prospects in recent memory. While Williamson certainly hasn’t played to the level of a bust, his production this year certainly feels underwhelming compared to what we know his capabilities are. Previous to this year, Zion was seen as an unstoppable offensive force, and the only question was if he could stay on the court to put that to work, but this year he has been on the court for a majority of games and has seen his production drop nearly across the board. Many will immediately come to his defense and say that 22 points on 60% TS isn’t bad, and while they are right, that is not the standard we should hold someone as talented as Williamson to. In previous years, Zion had averaged 26 and 27 on 65% TS, with that not even being seen as his ceiling. The video of Zion dribbling the ball up and looking extremely out of shape may be funny — I mean, I certainly got a good laugh out of it — but the concerns about his shape have real merit behind them, making it totally reasonable for the organization to feel how they do. New Orleans has one of the most deeply talented rosters in basketball, but the only way for them to take the true leap into contention is for Williamson to be the MVP-caliber player we all know he is capable of being, because as good as Brandon Ingram and others on the roster are, this team was built on the contingency of Zion being a bonafide superstar. Outside of his best stretch of the season where he put up at least 25 in 5 consecutive games, he has failed to do that even once in back-to-back outings, and when you remove those 5 games, his averages drop to an even more worrying 18 points.
While Zion and New Orleans have never been a seamless fit, Williamson’s play on the court and the recent report about the organization’s frustrations make this feel different than before. The context and the timing of all of this make me feel as if we are at a boiling point that could spill over any day now. Seeing a 23-year-old who many thought could be the most dominant scorer in basketball regress substantially is truly a sad sight, and I think at this point, it’s well overdue for the two sides to go in separate directions, as it feels like each is just limiting the other’s potential right now. I am eager to watch this situation continue to develop as there are still so many unknowns that may never be solved.
