Zion Williamson has often been the subject of criticism due to his injury history. But on Monday, it wasn’t just fans and analysts taking shots at him, rather an NBA team joined in.
The New Orleans Pelicans suffered a 127-81 blowout loss to the Detroit Pistons at Smoothie King Center. However, the highlight of the game came when Williamson threw down a powerful dunk over Isaiah Stewart that quickly went viral on social media.
But the Pistons weren’t about to let the story end there. On the very next possession, Stewart blocked Zion and sent him crashing to the floor and Detroit’s social media team made sure to highlight it. They posted a video showcasing both moments, claiming that Williamson’s dunk wasn’t the whole story.
Showing everyone what the national media won’t pic.twitter.com/tT0btAz5mL
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) March 18, 2025
Despite the Pelicans’ struggles, Williamson had a stellar individual performance. He finished with 30 points on 9-18 shooting, while also going 12-15 from the free-throw line. He added six rebounds, three assists, and two blocks.
Zion Williamson’s Trade Value On The Rise Amid Strong Play
On the latest episode of the Hoops Collective podcast, Tim MacMahon discussed Zion Williamson’s potential trade appeal. MacMahon recalled a past conversation about Zion’s value. The insider then revealed that the Pelicans may have two different motivations behind Zion’s resurgence, either to help their own future or boost his stock for a possible trade.
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“I remember Bobby [Marks] and I wrote a story just as he was about to come back and kind of like ‘What’s coming with Zion?’ What the trade value and market might be for him. Somebody told us then the goal is to ramp him up and restore his value, whether that’s for the Pelicans or another team,” MacMahon said..
So far this season, Williamson has played just 24 games, but when he’s on the floor, he’s been highly productive. The former No. 1 overall pick is averaging 24.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game.
