The Zion Williamson era in New Orleans is seemingly taking a big hit after New Orleans newspaper The Times Picayune published an explosive report detailing the problematic relationship between the star player and the Pelicans.
Williamson and Pelicans president of basketball operations David Griffin barely talk, according to The Time Picayune’s Christian Clark.
“Throughout his rookie season, Williamson had grown increasingly frustrated with the Pelicans for the number of hoops they required him to jump through to return from the knee injury he suffered in the preseason. The team initially provided a return-to-play timetable of six to eight weeks, but it took more than three months for Williamson to get back on the floor. When he was finally given the thumbs up to play, he was placed on “burst” limits, which he detested. The way Williamson’s return was handled caused significant tension between him and the team’s medical staff, sources said.”
Williamson only played 24 games as a rookie, averaging 27.8 minutes per game. His playing time has helped create a “sour” relationship with Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin, per Clark.
On top of that article was an unconfirmed report from an NBA Redditor taking shots at Williamson for how he’s handled his first few seasons with the franchise.
“Christian Clark’s reporting on how shitty Griffin’s tenure here has been, and how many in the organization have turned on him.
Griffin basically has no relationship with Zion and they don’t really speak.
Zion showed up fat from the day 1 of summer league after we drafted him, and turned on the organization with how cautious they were over his knee injury. Showed up even fatter to the bubble and and we hid another injury at the request of his family.
Now the guy who’s been fat for his entire NBA career, won’t show up to any of the team’s offseason workouts together, ghosted BI and Vinson back in Phoenix, was in Vegas for summer league, didn’t meet up with his teammates and has no relationship with the front office.
I’ve said it before but it almost impossible for these past two years to have gone any worse. A fraud POBO. A franchise player who’s been fat or injured for his entire time here, his psycho parents, and somehow less leadership ability than Anthony Davis. At least AD showed up to team tryouts. Shit is ridiculous.”
Just remember, the below report from the Reddit user is unconfirmed.
Williamson finished 2020-21 with averages of 27.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, hitting 61.1 percent of his shots from the field.
