He can still picture the lights of T-Mobile Arena, the arrival on the court, the faces in the crowd inside the Las Vegas lair. Early last December, the Pelicans faced the Lakers in the semifinals of the midseason tournament. And the game turned into a nightmare for Zion Williamson and his teammates.
In the middle of the third quarter, with the lead already flirting with 30 points, the Pelicans' interior is getting ready to return to the floor. I was looking at the scoreboard and I was like, 'Damn, this ain't us.' It starts with me. I can't be like this. This shit, it's not possible anymore. “, remembers the person concerned at The Athletic.
In the end, a 44-point defeat punctuated by a dubious personal performance, which even brought back the debate on his physical condition. It was time for me to find another way “, agrees the interior who sees this match as a turning point in his season.
Because while he and his team are sinking, Zion Williamson is watching the superstar across the way, LeBron James. I tell myself that I want to be a top player, one of the greatest. I didn't live up to this big event. It hit me during the match. I have no excuses. »
An update from Willie Green
Much later in the season, while the Pelicans were in the fight to qualify for the playoffs, Willie Green, ahead of a key match on the Suns' court, made him understand that he was entering a crucial phase of his career.
The coach outlines the responsibilities that come with the importance of the big guys being at their best for the biggest battles.
Message received for the interior who does not intend to leave Phoenix without the victory. With his great performance (29 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 blocks), NOLA wins and ends up reaching the “play-in”. The interior seems to arrive launched at the time of facing the Lakers.
Unfortunately for New Orleans and him, the muscle ball, on the basis of his best outing of his career, gets injured in the final moments. The Pelicans will play the playoffs without him and will be swept by the Thunder.
As he walks into the office of his vice president David Griffin, Zion Williamson feels like he’s let the team down. Again. Another physical setback. The true thread running through his career and the relationship between the 2019 No. 1 overall pick and his team. It’s often the reaction to each injury, not the injury itself, that has caused discord between the two sides.
David Griffin says he is proud of himself
The player's camp often complained behind the scenes about how the team was handling his rehab and felt like the franchise was holding him back when he was healthy enough to play. In fact, according to The Athletic, the Pels' reluctance to relaunch him was often fueled by questions about his approach to rehab and his struggles to maintain an appropriate playing weight.
In the summer of 2023, a sure sign, David Griffin had to deny transfer rumors concerning his player. This page now seems to have been turned, despite the frustration linked to the end of the 2023-24 season. « « He told me he was really proud of me. He told me he trusted me. He trusts me completely. The little doubts are gone “, reports the interior, speaking of its leader.
Over the past year, Zion Williamson has learned that he needs to earn the franchise's trust, and not just through a magic workout routine, a foolproof diet or a few flashy stunts. He's found in that trust the motivation to work out this summer at 6 a.m., five days a week.
” It's unfortunate that I had to go through some of those things, but it made me a better person. That's what drives me to do what I do now. “, continues the interior, followed this summer by assistant Aaron Miles, who has worked for the Warriors and the Celtics. ” Coach Miles is great and knows what excellence looks like. He has been around Steph (Curry), Klay (Thompson), (Jayson) Tatum. He knows what it takes to be a champion.. »
If this confidence is restored, what can we expect for the coming season? I'm looking for pure revenge. Not against anyone in particular. Just for me. ” he concludes.
| Zion Williamson | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2019-20 | NOP | 24 | 28 | 58.3 | 42.9 | 64.0 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 6.3 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 22.5 |
| 2020-21 | NOP | 61 | 33 | 61.1 | 29.4 | 69.8 | 2.7 | 4.5 | 7.2 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 2.7 | 0.6 | 27.0 |
| 2022-23 | NOP | 29 | 33 | 60.8 | 36.8 | 71.4 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 4.6 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 0.6 | 26.0 |
| 2023-24 | NOP | 70 | 32 | 57.0 | 33.3 | 70.2 | 1.7 | 4.1 | 5.8 | 5.0 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 22.9 |
| Total | 184 | 32 | 59.2 | 34.1 | 69.5 | 2.2 | 4.3 | 6.5 | 4.1 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 24.7 | |
How to read the stats? GM = Games Played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots Made / Shots Attempted; 3pts = 3-pointers / 3-pointers Attempted; LF = Free Throws Made / Free Throws Attempted; Off = Offensive Rebound; Def = Defensive Rebound; Tot = Total Rebounds; Pd = Assists; Fte: Personal Fouls; Int = Steals; Bp = Loose Balls; Ct: Blocks; Pts = Points.
