After a 22-point performance in his debut on Wednesday, Zion Williamson followed-up with a 15-point outing on Friday. And although those numbers are positive signs for the Rookie, he was unable to deliver on a win.
Since making his debut, Zion is 0-2 and has been taken out late in both games, as coach Alvin Gentry has elected to sit Williamson instead of allowing him to close the game. When asked about how he felt about being sent to the bench in the closing minutes, Williamson seemed unsure of how to answer.
“Honestly, I don’t know how to answer that question. It hasn’t really been up to me. I’m just playing whatever they need me.”
Pelicans’ Zion Williamson, after being rested during crunch time of 2nd straight loss, on whether his rotations could change so he could close games: “Honestly, I don’t know how to answer that question. It hasn’t really been up to me. I’m just playing whatever they need me.” pic.twitter.com/0b4CnIe0Uk
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) January 25, 2020
Gentry is seemingly trying to play it safe and slow with Zion. No doubt, he wants to make sure that the Rookie isn’t just thrust into action.
But it’s costing the team winnable games, and Zion looks to be running out of patience.
It’ll be interesting to witness how the Pelicans handle Zion moving forward. Will they continue to be conservative with his minutes and playing time, or will they finally let the kid play?
