The New Orleans Pelicans are worried about the conditioning and diet of superstar Zion Williamson, according to a report.
The Pelicans were humiliated by LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers in the in-season tournament semi-finals, falling 133-89 on Thursday night. Williamson had 13 points, two rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes of action.
Now, Christian Clark of The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reports that Williamson’s conditioning and diet is becoming a concern for the Pelicans:
“During the first stoppage in play of Thursday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Zion Williamson plopped on the New Orleans Pelicans’ bench and struggled to breathe, looking as though he had just completed a half-marathon.
Williamson, who had just jogged back on defense to try to contest a Taurean Prince 3-pointer, appeared winded even though the game was not even five minutes old. The 23-year-old’s poor conditioning was painfully apparent on the specially designed red and blue court for the NBA’s new In-Season Tournament in Las Vegas. Earlier in the week, Williamson had compared the court to a stage. He was right: It was a stage, and on it, he got exposed.
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.””
Despite the all-world talents of the first overall pick from 2019, Williamson has frequently been mentioned in trade rumors over the past year. For as much ability as he carries, Williamson and the Pelicans organization have failed to stay on the same page, and injuries have cut out a large portion of his prime years.
Th 23-year-old Williamson missed the entire 2021-22 season recovering from a foot injury. Though he was limited to 29 games last year, Williamson again showed promise of becoming a superstar by averaging 26 points, seven rebounds and 4.6 points per game.
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With veterans Brandon Ingram, C.J. McCollum and 23-year-old Trey Murphy III off to strong starts, the Pelicans should be better than their record (12-11). But this team is again struggling to live up to its full potential, and Williamson’s inconsistent play is apparently causing more frustration in the organization.
Clearly, there’s plenty for both sides to work out if the franchise is to live up to its potential once and for all.
