Zion Williamson was called to be the new great American star of the NBA, the one that the league is eager to find and elevate in the face of the dominance of foreign stars. The two great hopes came hand in hand in the same Draft: with number 1, Zion. With the number 2, I Morant. But both projects were suspended indefinitely amid Instagram posts, questionable decisions and injuries.
When this season began there were no longer so many expectations placed on Williamson. After all, people seem to have already gotten used to the idea that we would never see what had been promised to us during the 85 games he played between his first two seasons. The question was to see when his physical condition would fail again, to start the cycle again: good game, injury, doubts about his physical appearance and his work ethic, long recovery. And start again.
In some ways, starting the season in the shadows, without high individual expectations, almost, almost forgotten, may be the best thing that ever happened to him.
The dark days
Fatphobia is rampant in the world of sports. From Fat Charles Barkley until Ronaldo El Gordo, there are countless cases of athletes who have been attacked based on their weight or physique. Since their performance depends largely on their physical condition, it is understood that athletes must always be in optimal condition, but there are people who believe that they are therefore already legitimized to attack them based on their weight.
Fat man, whale, seal, bottomless pit. Without needing to mention other more rude ones, these are some of the niceties that Zion Williamson has had to read on social networks in recent years on an ongoing basis. He has also had to see how his commitment to the sport, to his franchise, to his teammates, was called into question.
Another thing you have to put up with when you are an elite athlete is that everyone feels that they can make better decisions than you, or that they try to offer you advice when you have not asked for it, even if they are well-intentioned. Like when Charles Barkley He said in one of the broadcasts of a prime time game that he recommended Zion take his physical preparation seriously. “It was a blessing to me that Moses Malone told me to get my fat ass in shape and lose weight.”, said Barkley. “I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, I want you to be a great basketball player, I have been in the same situation as you, being very talented and overweight.”
As expected, the reaction was mockery. “Barkley calls Zion fat on national television.” Barkley also implied that he did not take it seriously. Negativity surrounded everything. When it wasn’t about his weight or his injuries, it was speculation about his private life. Zion tried to isolate himself by leaving for of the months to Portland to continue with his recovery, but that only fueled hatred and doubts. His relatives and fans began to worry when the player began to make mysterious references and posts on social media related to the album Ready to Die by Notorious BIG.
“There were times when I was in very dark places mentally,” Williamson acknowledged to Sports Illustrated. “He couldn’t play basketball, the only thing he could do was limited rehabilitation exercises. And see how everyone reacted? It affected me a lot. “It affected my spirit a lot.”
Zion’s jealousy for privacy also fueled negative theories. Anyone else would have opted for a public relations campaign, uploading videos of his recovery, leaking interested data to journalists, trying to win over the public. Williamson didn’t want to say anything. “I am one of those people who want to demonstrate, not talk for the sake of talking”, he told Howard Beck. That’s why he didn’t reveal anything about his training, his weight, his recovery techniques or his diet.
Little by little, the public began to forget. The wheel of hatred turned and focused on other players. Zion was leaving the spotlight, many considered him a lost cause.
The light at the end of the tunnel?
If nothing goes wrong, Zion will surpass his maximum number of games played in a campaign this season, the 61 of 2020-21. The streak of injuries that began since his rookie season seems to have given him a break. And he is taking advantage of it.
Maybe it’s not attracting as much attention because His numbers are not that spectacular. Like those of the past, in fact his points scored per game have decreased, but the question is not how many points he scores, but when he does it and how he produces them. Zion’s minutes have gone down, as has his usage percentage. The team and the player have understood that the loads they are subjected to must be well managed, and that they must choose well the moments in which to step on the accelerator. His usage percentage this season is 27.9% (his career rate exceeds 29%), but said usage rises to 31.1% in the final quarters.
Zion Williamson blocks Kelly Oubre Jr. during a Pelicans-Sixers
Matt Slocum/AP/LaPresse
The Pelicans are right now fifth in the Western Conference, but their 2024 year indicated that they can aspire to become an alternative to the big bogeymen of the West, at least until the injury of Brandon Ingram. Instead of staying in the fight for the play-in in which they seemed immersed, they have been showing their heads more and more and even have real possibilities of trying to catch up with Los Angeles Clippers in the fourth place. Just before Christmas they were ninth, now they aspire to fight for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
So far in 2024, New Orleans Pelicans They are the 7th best offense in the NBA (119.5 points per 100 possessions), the 6th best defense (112.4 points / 100) and the 4th best Net Rating in the league. Only Boston, Minnesota and Oklahoma City They are ahead of them. Only the Celtics, Thunder and Nuggets They accompany them as teams that are within the top 10 in both defense and attack, something that is usually used to evaluate the true contenders for the ring.
And the formula is simple. Yes, this is Zion’s team, but for it to be so, he has to be on the track, and not injured. That’s why the Brandon Ingrams are also important, CJ McCollum, Jonas Valanciunas, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy... Probably now that Ingram is going to miss a few weeks, Zion’s usage load will increase, and it almost certainly would have done the same in the playoffs, but both the player and the team already know that there are certain limits that they should not exceed.
When it comes down to it, the New Orleans Pelicans’ ceiling depends on Zion Williamson. Willie Green They have different possibilities, they can play big, they can play small, they have good defenders, good shooters… what they lack is the differential star that is on par with the most differential players in the NBA when push comes to shove. After going through all that darkness, Zion wants to prove that he can shine when his team needs it most.
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2024-03-28 11:30:00
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