(Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
The New Orleans Pelicans have a lot of trouble on their hands right now.
Not only did they waste an opportunity to avoid the Play-In Tournament, but they’ll also have to play to save their season against the Sacramento Kings.
On top of that, chances are they won’t have their best player on the court, as Zion Williamson suffered a hamstring injury in the loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Even so, and despite the loss, ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith tipped his hat to him.
“That dude that we saw yesterday … is the No. 1 pick we’ve been looking for.”
—@stephenasmith on Zion’s play-in performance pic.twitter.com/V12WHY2qDj
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 17, 2024
In the latest edition of “First Take,” Smith admitted that he’s been quite harsh on him in the past because of his weight issues and alleged subpar work ethic, so it was only right that he gave him his flowers when he does the right thing.
Smith claimed that he was proud of him for the way he took care of his body this season and was actually available for his team, adding that the player we saw in the loss was the player the Pelicans had been waiting for all this time.
Zion was a no-show in their regular-season loss to the Lakers on Sunday, but he was an unstoppable force right out of the gate in the Play-In Tournament.
He had 40 points on 17-27 shooting, grabbing five rebounds and bullying his way to the rim.
Zion went off to the races every single time he had the rock, going at defenders’ chests and willing his way to the basket like the dominant and physical force he could be.
Now, it’ll be up to his teammates to get the job done without him.
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