The New Orleans Pelicans lost their best player at the absolute worst time as they make a push for the West’s final play-in spot.
They’re going to have to do it without Zion Williamson, who is out indefinitely with a fractured finger. Williamson injured his finger against the Warriors when going up for a rebound. Draymond Green incidentally swiped at his hand as he was going for the ball and injured his finger.
Pelicans team president David Griffin isn’t blaming Green for that play and the other plays like it, though. He’s blaming NBA officials.
He believes Williamson’s injury was completely avoidable but happened because of the way the NBA officiates him. Players are allowed to be more physical with the Pelicans’ star because of how big he is.
He said it’s “open season” on Zion Williamson.
Pelicans' David Griffin blames officiating for Zion Williamson's broken finger: "He’s injured now because of the open season there’s been on Zion Williamson in the paint… There’s more violence encouraged in the paint against Zion Williamson than any player I’ve seen since Shaq" pic.twitter.com/7rYQ7A1mfR
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) May 7, 2021
“Quite frankly, he’s injured now because of the open season that there’s been on Zion Williamson in the paint. He has absolutely been mauled in the paint on a regular basis to the point where other players have said to him, ‘I’m going to keep doing this to you because they don’t call it.’ So, there’s more violence encouraged in the paint against Zion Williamson than any player I’ve seen since Shaq (O’Neal.). It was egregious and horrific then, and the same is true now.”
He’s not wrong here, either. Williamson is officiated differently than other players. He goes to the free throw line 8.5 times per game, but with the way he plays that number could easily be much higher.
Per basketball-reference, a whopping 69% of Williamson’s shots come from within 3 feet of the rim. But he’s behind Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Trae Young in free throws per game.
He should be going to the line more. This is something we’ve seen with other incredibly physical players — Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Players have been overly physical with them because it was the only way to stop them.
Zion is suffering from the same thing here. Griffin believe’s it’s because he doesn’t flop.
David Griffin talking about the problem with the NBA’s officiating
“I think we have a problem as a league right now.” pic.twitter.com/NoIzDVrUIW
— Louis Prejean (@LouisPrejean) May 7, 2021
“When kids are getting attacked in the way they are, and in particular, Zion was, this type of thing is going to happen. And I feel, to some degree, that there is an ‘I told you so'”
There’s no one reason for it. There’s no set solution, either. It might be flopping! It might be a change in officiating rules. It might just be Zion evolving his game a bit. We don’t know yet.
But whatever it is, it needs to happen soon. Because the league is worse without Zion Williamson playing in it.
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