As NBA superstars go, Zion Williamson is truly unique. Offensively, he’s a force of nature who can’t be defended by a single defender, and he plays a form of bully ball that’s nearly impossible to stop.
But successful has been hard to come by since Williamson left Duke and entered the NBA. Zion is constantly hurt, and as a result his career path continues to be a complete muddle because he can’t stay on the floor for very long. That muddle has left New Orleans veering back and forth between being a pretender and an out-and-out bad team, and this year they’ve become a serious contender in the “Sag for Flagg” sweepstakes.
The Zion Williamson numbers and the skill set
Zion Williamson has the basketball version of a superhero’s body, and when he’s on the floor he shows it. He’s averaged almost 25 points a game over the course of his career, and he’s a steady rebounder who gives the Pelicans 6-8 boards a game when he plays. Zion is also a capable passer who knows when to give up the ball, which translates to an average of four or five assists a game.
That’s the good news. If the Zion Williamson story was all about numbers, then building a team around him would be a relatively straightforward task. He is ball dominant to some extent, but there are several approaches that could easily work, whether it’s surrounding him with shooters or adding size compensate for the fact that Zion is only 6’6”.
Zion Williamson’s ability doesn’t include availability
Some superstars aren’t as durable as others, and normally that’s not a big problem. Plenty of teams have won big with stars who only play 60 games a season, mostly because they always show up in the playoffs.
Not Zion. His kryptonite is a balky hamstring, which is just one of several injuries that have caused him to miss over 200 games while playing in just 184. His latest hammy issue has him out until January, and the sketchy infrastructure of players around him has finally collapsed from the sheer weight of supporting Williamson’s absences.
To their credit, the Pelicans have stayed patient with Zion Williamson. They understand how special he is as an athlete and a basketball player, and they know he could lead them to a deep playoff run at the very least if he was healthy.
Zion isn’t exactly a gamer, either
Unfortunately, Zion Williamson’s health isn’t the only variable in this basketball equation. While some stars will tough it out when they’re nicked up, that’s not Zion’s game at all.
He’s already balked at playing through minor injuries, stating that he doesn’t want to be on the floor unless he can “be Zion.” He doesn’t seem all that unhappy about his sketchy track record when it comes to staying on the floor, and last year he took things to an extreme that would be unfathomable for many superstars.
The moment happened during the playoffs, when Zion tapped out after leading a New Orleans comeback against the Lakers in the play-in game. Williamson had already scored 40 points, and most NBA superstars would have done anything to stay in the floor and finish the job of winning.
Not Zion. His decision to signal himself out of the game might have been understandable if this was a first-time phenomenon, but for Williamson it’s part of a repeating pattern. If his hamstring—or any other part of his massive frame, for that matter—is hurt, he’s coming out, and often he’s staying out for an extended stretch.
The Pelicans have run out of answers
The Pelicans have tried to talk Williamson into playing at a lower weight. They’d love to see him play at around 260, which would ease the stress on his hamstrings, not to mention the other body parts that have suffered as a result. Zion has made some noise about being willing to do that, but the results on the floor have made it clear that's not happening.
Push has now come to shove in this situation. New Orleans has been shopping complementary scorer Brandon Ingram, who wants a new deal, but no one wants him so far. CJ McCollum turned 33 before the start of the season, and he’s clearly starting to age out of the secondary scoring role he’s played so well for most of his career.
Is it time to start over? Zion Williamson is still just 24, so there would be a massive risk in trying to deal him, and the return would almost certainly be subpar. But the alternative is continuing to rely on a player whose strength is an ongoing series of occasional highlight reel plays while making it clear that a full-time commitment probably isn’t going to happen.