(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Ahead of the NBA Play-in Tournament, the New Orleans Pelicans made headlines, with a report surfacing that the team would be without superstar forward Zion Williamson.
As if that report wasn’t concerning enough, Williamson let it be known that his not playing right now is something of a mental hurdle rather than a physical one.
That news was a bombshell that caused some mixed reactions from players and the media, as some started to compare Williamson to Ben Simmons and really questioned whether he really wanted to play or not.
On Saturday, Pelicans teammate C.J. McCollum came to Williamson’s defense, saying that he believes it is unfair to criticize the former No. 1 overall pick because he knows the Duke product wants to compete.
.@CJMcCollum on people questioning Zion’s availability:
“I think it’s unfair to assume that [Zion] doesn’t want to play basketball. You’re talking about a guy who loves to compete.” pic.twitter.com/I1wJdJiH0M
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 15, 2023
Although McCollum is going to see a different side of things, having been around Williamson for the last year and a half in New Orleans, the criticism seems a bit warranted at this point, considering the superstar’s massive contract and the fact the team hasn’t been able to reach its true potential without him.
It could be argued that the Pelicans would be one of the best all-around teams in the Western Conference, if not the entire NBA, with a healthy Williamson leading the way alongside Brandon Ingram.
New Orleans has shown flashes of brilliance over the past two seasons with and without Williamson, but there’s no doubt that this team desperately needs him back in the fold to be, indeed, a force to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future.
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