Yet again, in an unsurprising fashion, NBA fans, analysts, and pundits are onto Zion Williamson and his lack of commitment to the game and the New Orleans Pelicans. During the In-season tournament semi-final matchup game against the Los Angeles Lakers, just by looking at him on the floor, Zion looked very out of shape. Viewers saw him as fat, lazy, and unenergetic because of the way he played against a 38-year-old LeBron James.
New Orleans news writer, Christian Clark of the Times-Picayune, shared that the Pelicans have been stressing out to Zion his “diet and conditioning needs to improve” this season, but the 2-time All-Star is reportedly not listening to the organization. Before the season started, Zion was looking fit, healthy, and pretty well-conditioned. However, just days before the holidays, the former first overall pick has returned to his problematic weight and form leading to his energy on the court being questioned.
The TNT guys were right. Zion is out of shape. He doesn't run hard. He doesn't rebound. Will Thursday be a wakeup call for him or just another night he is remembered for not maximizing his potential? https://t.co/27faje2xKP
— Christian Clark (@cclark_13) December 8, 2023
Allegedly the Pelicans have stressed to Zion Williamson that his diet and conditioning need to improve but he doesn't listen..
This has been the story for Zion and we've been worried about this for a long time#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/HX8Hhd7wyF
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 8, 2023
The TNT guys – Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley – didn’t hold back on Zion’s out-of-shape form
After a disappointing outing against the Lakers on Thursday night, the TNT guys went on to point out what’s wrong with Zion right now. Shaquille O’Neal handed out some frank opinions about what Zion has displayed so far in the season and it sounded very true.
If you look at the All-Star power forward, he does seem a bit off. He lacks the commitment to being aggressive or doing things harder. In fact, according to reports, Zion is weighed again at 280 pounds, which is obviously higher than what he weighed before the season began, 260. This brings us back to Christian Clark’s report that the Pelicans wanted Zion to be in shape and healthy, which the latter is having a hard time doing.
It’s really ironic that Shaq and Charles Barkley, known for being fat and lazy at one point in their careers, are telling Zion Williamson to shape up. But, The Diesel and The Round Mound of Rebound did everything on the court with heart, unlike Zion who seems to be falling apart and not knowing what he is supposed to be for the Pelicans.
Shaq's points on Zion
▪️ Doesn't run hard
▪️ Doesn't create easy points for himself
▪️ Doesn't demand the ball
▪️ Doesn't have "that look"
▪️ Doesn't rebound @nbaontnt | @ohnohedidnt24 pic.twitter.com/V2POT2dLT4— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) December 8, 2023
Charles Barkley with some criticism on Zion Williamson:
"He should be the best player [on the Pelicans] and he's not even close." pic.twitter.com/lyoWysgwgE
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) December 8, 2023
Zion Williamson’s former teammate, JJ Redick, also sounded on the Pelican’s star
In July, Zion revealed that, despite training and working out really hard, he still has difficulties eating healthy. While this may have been solved internally, it seems like a recurring problem for the 23-year-old power forward. ESPN analyst, JJ Redick, who played for the New Orleans Pelicans from 2019 to 2021, said that he was disappointed with what his former teammate is doing right now.
"The reality is Zion Williamson has not bought in to his own career yet."
— JJ Redick on Zion pic.twitter.com/0kqqhm8IG5
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 8, 2023
Redick, as well as every other analyst and fan, believes that Zion can be a superstar if he really puts his mind to it. He was supposed to be the next LeBron because he was a generational talent, an athletic freak despite being undersized, and a rare species. We saw glimpses of potential in the past, but with the weight conundrum he’s facing, it’ll be sad to not see that again.
Zion just received a max contract from the Pelicans last year, but he hasn’t proved yet why he’s deserving of that kind of money. As of this writing, the former Duke standout is averaging 22.2 points, 4.8 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game. These are good numbers, but considering that he’s already an All-Star, this is actually pretty low for a talented guy like him.
