Zion Williamson has been one of the biggest stories of the season, and it’s got little to do with his activities on the court. Sadly, for Williamson, another injury has derailed his season, and the entire NBA community can’t help but ask if he’ll ever be able to get right and stay healthy for a prolonged period of time.
With Zion’s status still unknown heading into Wednesday’s play-in game, Stephen A. Smith made sure to call him out on First Take as he lamented the Pelicans’ season.
“This guy is a fantastic talent. His first year, played 24 out of the possible 72 games. Next season he played 61. Missed all of last season, just played 29 games this year. He’s missed 169 games in his career and hasn’t played at least 40% of his games. You can’t make a statement like ‘when I feel like Zion.’ Players taught us a long time ago, you never feel like 100%. He’s gotta find a way to get back on the court. Period. Because it’s starting to look very bad and it’s raising suspicions everywhere.”
.@stephenasmith reacts to Zion Williamson's recent comments on when he will return:
"This guy is a fantastic talent. … He's gotta find a way to get back on the court. Period. Because it's starting to look very bad and it's raising suspicions everywhere." pic.twitter.com/MlgTZMCYsp
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 12, 2023
There is no question that Zion has superstar potential, and he’s played great when he’s been on the floor for New Orleans. The problem is that he can’t stay healthy, and it continues to hold the Pelicans back from making a run in the West.
This year, Williamson hasn’t been ruled out for a playoff return, but it’s looking increasingly unlikely as time goes on.
Pelicans Are Unhappy With Zion’s Hiatus
The Pelicans have expressed nothing but support for Z publicly, but there are reports that frustration is mounting from the inside, with doctors disagreeing on when it’s safe for him to return.
“From what I’ve heard, the Pelicans team doctors have cleared Zion Williamson to play in these playoff games. But Zion’s independent team of medical people says he’s only 99%, and they don’t want to completely clear him until he’s 100% ready to go. So, team management is increasingly at odds with Zion’s stepfather. And they just believe that the stepfather, with the advice of the medical people on their side, is holding Zion back from playing.”
Whether Zion is 99%, 100%, or 91%, he has to make a decision soon on what he values the most. After so many missed games, maybe it’s time for Zion to take a risk and go all-in for his team while they still have a chance. If not, you can chalk this up to another lost Pelicans season.
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