Getty Zion Williamson
The New Orleans Pelicans lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA In-Season Tournament Semifinals on December 7. Following their elimination, NOLA.com’s Christian Clark reported that Zion Williamson has continued to ignore the Pelicans’ multiple warnings about his diet.
“The Pelicans have repeatedly stressed to Williamson that his diet and conditioning need to improve. Williamson, multiple team sources have told The Times-Picayune, ‘doesn’t listen,'” Clark wrote on December 8.
Clark added that Zion’s approach has been a concern dating back to when the team first drafted him and what they’ve done to try to fix it.
“Williamson’s poor work ethic has been a source of frustration for the Pelicans since they drafted him No. 1 in 2019. The Pelicans have tried to surround Williamson with veterans who have track records of maximizing their potential. The team signed JJ Redick in 2019. In 2022, they traded for CJ McCollum,” Clark wrote.
It is a red flag that, entering his fifth NBA season, Williamson still has these issues. The Pelicans drafted him, hoping that he would help them start a new chapter as the franchise’s new face. Despite his obvious talent, Williamson still hasn’t been the player the Pelicans hoped he would be.
Shaquille O’Neal Questions Zion Williamson’s Efforts
After the Lakers beat the Pelicans, NBA Hall-of-Famers Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal questioned Zion Williamson’s work ethic. O’Neal sent a message to Williamson after the game.
Shaq on the deficiencies in Zion’s Williamson game:
“I was just like him.”
“I want to make some points about Zion,” O’Neal said on NBA on TNT’s broadcast. “(He) does not run hard. It’s not a diss. It’s going to be a lesson from one great big man to another guy that can be a great big. (He) does not run hard. I had the same problem. I thought I was running hard.”
O’Neal added that Williamson does not give off the vibe of someone who wants to dominate a game, which is something O’Neal said every sports legend has.
“He doesn’t have that look,” O’Neal added. “I know a look when I see it. Every sport has a look. Tiger Woods has that look. Jack Nicklaus had that look. He just doesn’t have that look. And he doesn’t rebound.”
O’Neal has been critical of NBA stars in the past, like Dwight Howard. However, during his prime days, Howard was an NBA superstar, and the Orlando Magic greatly benefited from his presence. The Pelicans have not experienced nearly the same success with Williamson, who has not been the superstar they want him to be.
Willie Green Calls Pelicans Loss ‘Total Letdown’
After the Pelicans lost to the Lakers, Pelicans Head Coach Willie Green detailed what went wrong after being blown out.
“Tonight was a total letdown,” Green said, per the New Orleans Pelicans YouTube Channel. “We were all disappointed in our competitive spirit against the Lakers, and you got to give them credit. They came out, and they dominated.”
Green added that the players, including Zion Williamson, will learn from the experience going forward.
“They know what it takes to be on the big stage and have big moments,” Green said. “For some of our guys, this is their first time since college being in elimination games. So we’ll take the experience, we’ll watch film on it, we’ll grow, and we’ll learn. For Z in particular, it’s a moment that we can learn from. The level went up tonight, and like I said, we didn’t match their intensity.”
The Pelicans may not have gotten the desired outcome they wanted, but they are still very much in the thick of the Western Conference playoff picture.