NEW ORLEANS — The problem isn’t Zion Williamson’s skill. That never was the concern. The issue is Zion’s health and, by extension, his weight.
Once again, the theoretical most exciting NBA player is on the shelf with a foot injury and will miss Saturday’s game against the Knicks. We say theoretical because he’s played only 85 of a possible 149 games in his NBA career.
The latest ailment is a broken foot, and nobody seems to know when Williamson will return to the court.
In the meantime, the Pelicans are 1-4 and appear directionless without Williamson.
“He’ll be all right,” said RJ Barrett, who was teammates with Williamson at Duke. “He’s such a special talent and such a great human being. I’m always pulling for him. He’ll be good. When he comes back, you guys will see.”
We will have to wait to see. There are rumors of Williamson ballooning to over 300 pounds in the offseason, which isn’t a sustainable weight for his high-flying style.
There’s also a general sense of dysfunction and unease about Williamson’s future in New Orleans, a small-market franchise unable to keep its previous stars — Anthony Davis and Chris Paul — from demanding a trade.
There must’ve been cringes last season from the Pelicans when Williamson, out of nowhere, began passionately explaining his love for Madison Square Garden.
Regardless, the Pelicans will offer Williamson an extension in the summer, and no player has ever turned down a max deal coming off their rookie contract. But it’s hardly been an ideal pairing. And rival teams are monitoring the situation.
The contrast is in New York and Memphis, homes to the draft picks chosen directly after Williamson in 2019: Barrett and Ja Morant.
Both are thriving on teams trending upwards, already with playoff experience under their belts. Barrett progressed from a disappointing and inefficient rookie to a two-way force with All-Defense potential.
Unlike Williamson, he’s also always available after finishing second in the league in minutes last season.
The most important part of success is showing up.
“Everybody is different. Everybody’s journey is different,” Barrett said. “I know who I am. The team believes in me. So that’s what I care about.”
