Karl Malone believes Zion Williamson should be playing more minutes in the NBA and could benefit from losing weight.
Zion Williamson you need to “get in shape” if you want to realize your potential NBA, according to the Hall of Famer Karl Malone. New Orleans selected Williamson with the first overall pick in the 2019 Draft, but a meniscus tear in the preseason and a shortened season due to the coronavirus pandemic meant Zion played just 24 games in his rookie campaign.
The Duke surgeon has played a total of 36 games since entering the league so far, still less than half a standard season, but former power forward Karl Malone, a two-time MVP and winner of First Team honors. 11-time NBA champion, believes Zion needs to improve his physique to maximize his abilities.
Williamson stands at 2.01m tall and 129kg, with Malone pointing to Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis as an example of someone who fell short due to his size: Davis was 2.05m tall and weighed 131kg in his day. player. .
“I love Zion Williamson, but he needs to get in shape. If he doesn’t get in shape, we may never know his full potential,” Malone said on The Players’ Tribune’s Knuckleheads podcast.
“There’s a young man who played at LSU, ‘Big Baby’ Davis. Big Baby made a comment about eight months ago, on an ESPN show: ‘Look guys, I’m about to get in trouble now with what I’m going to do. say. I know everyone loves Zion and I love him too. But Zion has the same body type as me. ‘He was talking about himself. And he said if Zion doesn’t get in shape, we’ll never know everything. his potential. And he suffered for that, “said Malone, recognized for his good physical shape that allowed him to play until he was 40 years old.
Williamson had 32 points with five rebounds and three assists for the Pelicans in a 118-102 loss to the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, with New Orleans losing for the sixth time in seven games to fall to 5-8 on the season.
This season, the 20-year-old is averaging 23.4 points and 8.0 rebounds in 32.6 minutes per game. That puts him 44th in minutes per game, with a usage percentage of 29.1 enough to rank 39th in the league.
Malone added: “I’m still waiting for him to play the whole season, and he needs an average of 40 minutes per game. Look, you’re a 21, 22-year-old boy, you shouldn’t get tired,” he said.
Foto: Getty Images
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