The NBA’s in-season tournament shined a somewhat brighter spotlight on players than is typical for this part of the regular season.
Tyrese Haliburton, for example, played in his first game televised by TNT and may have ascended into a new level of stardom thanks to his exciting style of play that led the Pacers to the championship round.
Zion Williamson, on the other hand, is currently experiencing the negative consequences of not showing up in a big moment.
Williamson and the Pelicans were thoroughly trounced by the Lakers in the semifinals, with Zion collecting only 13 points, two rebounds and three assists in a whopping 44-point loss. After the dispiriting effort, Williamson was criticized from every corner.
First from Shaquille O’Neal: “I had the same problem my first and second year. I thought I was running hard,” O’Neal said on TNT after the game. “Because my talent’s going to get me 20 [points]. When I started getting to 30–40, it’s because I started doing certain things. … He doesn’t create easy points for himself. … He doesn’t demand the ball. … He doesn’t have that look like, ‘I’m the greatest ever.’ I know a look when I see it.”
Then Times-Picayune Pelicans reporter Christian Clark cited team sources who said the team has “repeatedly stressed” to WIlliamson that his conditioning needs to improve, but he “doesn’t listen.”
And finally, Zion’s former teammate JJ Redick also offered a strong critique on ESPN, saying, “He’s still not in shape despite everything that he’s gone through, despite numerous conversations with legends of the game about being in shape.” He added that Williamson “has not bought into his own career yet.”
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Zion has absolutely shown stretches of dominance during his NBA career. And his stats are nothing to scoff at—22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists a night would be solid for many players. Except Williamson is not one of many. He entered the league with massive expectations. Injuries have absolutely played a significant role in his difficulty to stay in an elite stratosphere—he’s played more than 30 games only once before this season and even missed an entire year.
But Williamson is now in his fifth year as a pro. The injuries may not be under his control. The conditioning most certainly is. And seemingly everyone from the front office to legendary players to former teammates is identifying it as a problem. How much longer is Zion going to let this narrative be a part of his career? He’s too talented to let conditioning be the defining aspect of him as a player and has too much potential to let it go to waste over something like this.
To Zion’s credit, he admitted he needed to be better after the semifinal loss. And in the offseason, at least, Pelicans president David Griffin commended Williamson for taking care of his body better than he had in the past. I don’t think WIlliamson is putting zero effort into this problem. But, especially knowing the heights his game has reached at times, it’s certainly fair to question whether that effort is consistent enough.
This isn’t important only for WIlliamson; it’s also important for the Pelicans. New Orleans has a talented team that’s handcuffed by counting on Zion. And so far this year, the mix of Williamson, CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram hasn’t been good, with the Pelicans sporting a minus-10.3 net rating when those three share the floor. Zion’s name was floated during trade rumors around draft time. At what point should New Orleans seriously consider going back down that road, especially with all the other talent on its roster?
These thoughts and questions are thorny and uncomfortable. But they are the result of years of Zion thriving only in fits and starts. With the expectations growing for what the Pelicans can accomplish, Williamson can no longer hide what’s been a disappointing season. And the only way for him to turn down the noise is to make sure he’s exhibited a commitment to being the best possible version of himself the next time the spotlight comes back around.
