Zion Williamson during his exit interview: “I want to experience the playoffs…It’s frustrating getting up here every year and not being in the playoffs. And I take my responsibility in that”
Do you think Zion could have a similar revival like Aaron Gordon did after he left the Magic, if he went to the right place?
AG is also really good on defense…
Yea I think Zion would have to be paired with a big who could defend the rim and rebound behind him. It would also be helpful if the same big could stretch the floor. Now you’re looking for the most valuable archetype in the NBA lol.
I think you just described Wemby. But Zion to the Spurs feel like an impossibility.
Zion next to Wemby would look like the number 10.
More like “ 1o” a number one and letter o lol
that’s how I’d write price listings in my trading post lots on neopets (1oo,ooo OBO)
shit send Fox’s expiring contract in a couple years and some picks get it done
send it this summer and promote harper to the starters and have the godliest rim pressure team ever
Pretty rough spacing with that lineup. Also I feel like Fox is severely underrated and is going to have a monster playoffs this year.
Watched him go almost shot for shot in the playoffs against Steph the potential is there for sure.
Watched him play all season. I have my doubts.
I came here to say, with Fox, a couple picks, and with both Castle and Harper waiting for more guard mins … Spurs could absolutely land a big trade and make the salary work
Yea, Chet would fit too. Clingan maybe?
Please no lol we already have Deni who is basically skinny Zion in terms of play style
Oh yea, someone on the team would need to learn how to shoot. Just spitballing guys that would make sense on paper with Zion
“box office”
Zion and wemby? Nah godskin duo
JJJ. Do it Utah
Maybe I’m not remembering correctly but I don’t think he was known for defense in Orlando.
He was not
That doesn’t mean the answer to the question is no. Zion even now has a much higher offensive ceiling to offset defensive limitations.
AG is a hustle god. Like the complete antithesis of Zion
AG went from being the best guy on the team to like, the third or fourth best guy and the responsibilities that come with that. Can Zion find a team like that?
He’s welcome in Philly
Yes, he definitely can. I think that’s actually what the Pels have had in mind since the injuries, but unfortunately everyone else has either ALSO been injured just plain shit the bed
Sure, Zion can turn it around like AG. All it takes is going to a team with the best player in the world, the best passer of all time, the best assist maker of all time. Ez work for Zion to thrive like that.
the dickriding is crazy
The smarm from Jokic fans.. jfc
You’d think his fans would be as chill as he is but that’s a fat nope
Best passer of all time? Did Magic Johnson get 1984’d or are your knees just that bruised
[deleted]
Anyone that pairs up with Jokic can have a revival. Not everyone is so lucky they get put in that position.
No
I could see Zion on like the Pistons being an actual productive player especially with Cade motivating him. I think half the problem is he is unmotivated and not winning. Maybe if he saw success he would become the player he was supposed to be.
Or maybe he has an onlyfans addiction to girls with asses that look like those pillows you wrap around on your neck on an airplane and is just cool with the 100 million he already has.
The issue is that Tobias is one of the few competent spacers on the Pistons and Zion very much is not.
Turn it around like ag in what way? From a winning standpoint? Because talent wise Zion average 21+ every season so idk what you mean and why people are agreeing lol AG never came close to Zion’s lowest stats.
What AG did do was absolutely take over a Finals game where the Nuggs where shooting the backboard like a shotgun, played lights out defense throughout the playoffs, and attacked every rebound like he wanted to make his Rodman father proud…before then becoming a Draymond style “leave me open if you insist” 3 point shooter.
Don’t give Zion some weird Melo credit where his myriad issues are somehow madeup by the stats the IG For You Page or 5 minute ESPN segments deem the pinnacle of basketball performance.
It’s different because AG really was built to be an elite role player. Plus he had a pretty well renowned work ethic. Hes just not really a shot creator. So take that off his plate and he’s now elite at everything else.
Zion could be better on D and rebounding but he’s not built to be elite at that. He is a good shot creator. He’s not renowned for his work ethic.
But make him like the Zach Randolph on a team like the grit n grind grizzlies? Sure. Definitely need a really good defensive C, and either a PG or Wing who’s the more responsible lead creator.
I haven’t watched Zion lately but in order to do that, he’ll have to put his ego aside, take a back seat, and take less money during his next contract.
He played very unselfish basketball this season - possibly to a fault. A quiet, low FGA, pass first season that didn’t let him really stand out and probably cost the Pels a bunch of wins - but I think I see the vision. He was very good at drawing defenders and generating open looks…the only thing missing on the Pels were shooters.
To give him credit he’s played well this season. Good availability and very efficient. Numbers are down but that’s mostly because Pels have limited his usage (I assume to minimize possibility of injuries).
Happy to see he played over 60 games and averaged 21ppg.
Was just looking at his career stats and the pattern is pretty interesting. In years 1, 3 and 5 he played 24, 29, 30 games. In years 2, 4, 6 he played 61, 70, 62. Hopefully he can break that pattern and have another relatively healthy year.
You missed a year. In year 3, 2021, he played ZERO games because he was overweight and broke a bone in his foot.
But pels med staff etc
I love how y’all sell beignets and still have the nerve to judge him over eating. Not his fault New Orleans got the good good
As a 350lb lard ass who would be 500lbs by tomorrow if I lived in New Orleans I agree.
Definitely their fault.
Oops you’re right!
After this contract I can see him being a key piece 3rd option, or a 2nd option scorer 4th usage on a contending team. He clearly still have the tools to be a winning player (and same with Paolo, the moment he realized he is not Bron).
He was so damn hyped coming out of Duke. Kind of sad to see him not fulfill his full potential cause he can’t stay healthy.
Yea people have sorta forgotten it now but Zion was arguably the most hyped prospect of the last 10 years, second only to Wemby maybe. He was supposed one of the future faces of the league but the body couldn’t hold up which is a shame
I wouldn’t even say second, outright first if strictly speaking about here in the US. He legit was a household name by the time he was in college, when he blew out his shoe during that game that was legit national news and caused Nike stock to drop. To go from that level of notoriety to basically being largely irrelevant is astonishing
Duke games with Zion were turning into Laker games, they were getting celebs down there.
Obama went to Duke vs NC. That’s how big Zion was
That clip of Zion’s shoe blowing up and Obama is in the background clearly saying “his shoe blew up!” was such a weird night
UNC blew Duke out in the biggest rivalry in the sport and all we heard about was the damn shoe
The biggest loss that night was Nike’s stock
It’s too bad man, he definitely was generational.
basically being largely irrelevant is astonishing
He’s been pretty active this season too. One would easily think he has been injured this season if you haven’t been following the Pelicans.
Wait. He wasn’t hurt?
I don’t have enough time to pay attention to other teams and I don’t play fantasy so I thought that not hearing about him meant he was hurt again
Yeah he’s mostly been available, played 62 games this year which is the 2nd most he’s ever played in his 7 year career
He wasn’t awful either… I cannot believe how little I heard his name
His team is irrelevant
Truth hurts man some things are meant to only be thought
He did career lows across the board though. He wasn’t bad but I expected a lot more from a now slimmed down Zion.
His usage rate and his minutes were low, that’s why. The Pels knew they weren’t making it anywhere pretty quickly and tried to keep him healthy.
He shot 64.4TS% though, which would be the 2nd best for any 60+ game season he’s played. And he had the best ORTG of his career. Also looked the best he’s looked on defense, especially post All Star break.
I’d say he doesn’t look like he’s going to carry a team like we thought, but he definitely looks like he’d be an absolutely formidable 2nd/ 3rd option on team that could use someone who shoots fucking 60% from the field despite everyone knowing exactly what move he’s doing every play lol
Lol the dude played 62 games at almost 30 mpg (1,840 minutes, or 28 mins less than Wemby). Would have made 65 but the Pels sat him for the last 3 games of the season.
Nope he just isn’t as freakishly athletic as he was and never developed a shot (doesn’t even seem like he wants to either). He is a true run and dunk man.
More hyped but a lot of the difference in hype is also just that he’s American and Wemby is international. Wemby was definitely the more highly rated prospect and was being highly scouted since he was like 11.
Yeah I didn’t even know who Wemby was until it was close to the draft
Wemby was without a doubt considered a better prospect. Let’s be for fucking real here
Wemby was talked about as the best prospect in the world when he was 16 years old in France
I think there’s a case that Zion had higher general hype even if Wemby was technically rated higher.
Most athletic freak since LeBron when he was drafted… No one else had that type of strength and speed at his size that young.
My immigrant mom from India knew who Zion was because of how hyped he was.
Remember when he exploded out of that shoe and Nike’s stock tanked for a little?
I’d tend to skew more frustrating than sad, given that his inability to stay healthy is at least partly due to him not being fully committed to consistently being in shape, but either way it definitely sucks that we didn’t get what we envisioned as peak Zion based on his time at Duke.
Too much hype imo. He never projected as the sort of 2 way player guys like AD, wemby, cooper were coming out of college, and his athleticism/body mass was not sustainable, there’s a reason not a lot of pros look like zion.
He was a human highlight reel in high school and college though.
His athleticism and body mass had people compare him to Barkley. Most of the country including former NBA players and scouts believed he will be a star.
But you aren’t wrong tho, pretty much every “the next LeBron” failed to live up to the hype.
New Orleans cuisine remains undefeated
I just saw my friend who’s been living there for the first time in a year. Urite.
We all knew full well he wouldn’t. Esp when he got drafted to New Orleans of all places. The food too good
Can he be effective and impactful without the ball in his hands? He’s completely given up on his 3 point shot. I haven’t seen him play much the last two years but I have no idea what it would look like with him in more of a Randle role. Not sure how that works without a 3.
He’s super efficient on high volume from inside the line and under the basket, so it’s gonna be like seeing a 2000s star playing in the 20s.
Is he a good passer? I could imagine a team with good ball movement would be able to get the ball to him in his spots, as long as he was also able to move the ball and keep the possession alive if he isn’t in those spots.
Yea he’s a good passer
Randle cant shoot 3’s either lol. He sure loves to take em though.
Randle is a bad 3 point shooter, but he can get hot and he will shoot them.
Zion has attempted 4 threes all season.
Not the same thing.
He was banging them in the playoffs last year tho. I suppose Zion just needs to play with a stretch 5
Basically NYK Larry Johnson
Zion is way better than Paolo. Cant even compare them two
He can be some teams AG if he’s willing to accept that role.
Feel like AG is way better at adapting but maybe it’s cuz he went to Jokics team.
This is the blueprint. He just doesn’t have that level of grit or character though. AG is the boogie man of the nba
A defensive stopper 2-5, and 3 pt shooter?
I just don’t see this happening. I can see him being a nuclear second option like Klay (in a much different role) but I just can’t imagine a world where a front office doesn’t offer him the max. Even if he doesn’t deserve it based on past performance someone is going to throw the bag at him to take up too much cap space for him to be utilized as a 3rd option or drop that much in usage.
The only world I can see this happening is if there’s another up and coming team like the Thunder 3 years ago before their young players got the bag after their rookie contracts. But that feels like the stars would have to align for that perfect scenario to happen. And in all fairness if I was Zion I’d take the bag over a pay cut on a winning team if I was him
Front offices are smarter than they’ve ever been other than Joe Dumars, Zion is never touching another max contract.
Zion’s put in his time, just please send him somewhere with an actual medical staff.
Could you imagine the spurs rehabbing this man…mmm I can dream
biblical greed
Like Midas himself. I confess
do you guys even want him if he was to become available? How would he fit with Wemby and your guards?
you don’t have much shooters to help him
Yes Zion is exactly what we’re missing: a young athletic forward with a good paint presence to make life easier for Wemby. Wemby, Zion, and castle would be unstoppable in the paint. Wemby, Vassell, and Champagnie are also great 3 pt threats with the latter two being some of the best in the league and castle has been shooting 34% from three since the new year, which is more than enough to be a threat
I’ve been saying this is it.
You guys need a true 4 and someone who can just get buckets to take pressure off of Wembanyama. Zion can literally get buckets at will, and to anyone who actually watched the Pels this year, he’s become a decent help defender - or at least I’m willing to bet he’d look decent next to your dude. Not to mention he is one of the only guys I’ve ever personally witness cook Wembanyama lol
Also I think he would buy into the culture there, which is very clearly top notch. I mean, I love the Pels, honestly - they are my secondary team - but I really don’t know what is even going on over there.
I’ve heard its training facilities and such, sharing things with Saints for cost cutting purposes, I’ve heard crazy ghost stories and even worse sorts of curses. What I know though is that everyone who leaves suddenly becomes an All Star/ All Defense/ etc after having been repeatedly injured or having issues, and it gets to a point where you have to recognize a pattern.
So as a fan of basketball, I say we need this man sent to a winning culture where he can have a second life
castle has been shooting 34% from three since the new year
And even better on our 30-3 run.
All he needs to do is be in the paint as a center that can oop up. Devin Vassel is top 5 catch and shoot 3 guy in the league. Wemby creates 3s, castle has been amazing and still growing. I just want a good center for us to get with Wemby to body guys and be an enforcer. Giannis would be amazing, Zion could do the same given some drive
If he buys in that would be fun to watch. Wemby could play the 4 since he can actually shoot & Zion could be a force in the paint
Or you can split their minutes at C & do what Dallas did in the 2024 run with Lively/Gafford
Barnes, champagnoe, vassell, Johnson, and Wemby can all shoot.
What do you know about the Pelicans’ medical staff? Believe it or not, a guy being prone to injury doesn’t mean that the team’s medical staff are incompetent. What makes you think that’d he’d suffer fewer injuries on any other team in the league?
Dejounte Murray talked about how bad their medical staff was during his Achilles recovery. Of course Zion’s a different case since some of his problems have been self inflicted.
And got exposed for lying on multiple counts
Sounds interesting. Do you have a link or source where I can go down a rabbit hole?
because the pelicans have been a hospital ward for years now lol why would you take their side at this point
Anthony Davis is injury prone even in LAL
Who else but a Zion who admitted to our taking care of their body?
Ingram, Dejounte, Dyson, herb, Murphy, all guys off the top of my head that are always hurt for them
ingram immediately played the most amount of games since his rookie season after leaving the Pelicans
No he didn’t, he was traded to Toronto mid season last year with a sprained ankle and missed the entire season.
I don’t know if it’s still the case but the Pelicans used the new Orleans saints medical team to save costs. Instead of one that specializes in basketball
This hasn’t been the case for awhile now.
Reminder that we hired Aaron Nelson and most of the Suns medical staff at one point. They were league renowned with the suns, and yet we still had horrible injuries during those years.
When people stop breaking I’ll stop blaming them*. Their reputation didn’t start with Zion lol
^* ^I ^won’t.
Aaron Nelson of the Phoenix Suns formerly
Is our VP of Player Care and Performance
Zion has been out of shape
And admitted to not taking things seriously
dawg BI played 77 games this season on the Raptors which is more than any of his seasons with the Pelicans, just a few seasons ago almost the entire Pelicans roster was injured. That medical staff is incredibly suspect.
Zion is not completely faultless but a better managed organization could have reeled him in better and also trained / managed his injuries far better.
Instead of biofreeze, they use old bay, au jus, and lard
Old bay???
Tony’s brah we don’t use none of of that Baltimore shit
He tried to make a NOLA specific joke and completely whiffed
He has put in his time? The guy almost ate himself out of the league his first few years. He owes that team a couple of years of locked in play.
Cmon down to (g)olden state in 10 years big Z!
The sheer horrid luck of that year he played 70 games, was an all-star, and the Pelicans made the playoffs and he got hurt at the end of the regular season.
It was in the play in when he dropped 40
Was that the Laker game? He was unstoppable until the injury.
Best player on the floor with AD and LeBron on as well.
As a secondary Pels fan, that is the saddest I’ve been watching a non-Knicks basketball game.
Dude was literally just yamming it on Anthony Davis and LeBron - he literally looked un fucking stoppable. I had flashes in my mind of ‘playoff Zion could legitimately carry the Pels to a Ring…’
And then he flew too close to the sun
That first season with Willie Green really did feel like the corner was turning… rip
We had an actual offense that year with a lot of motion and setting up plays for Ingram and JV. Ever since the offense became stationary and forced Point Zion. It’ll start working, but then fall apart whenever he or Ingram gets hurt.
Ingram <3
my sweet prince played 77 games this season
Deadass, NOLA might be cursed tho. Injuries seem to start to there and end when they leave. They upgraded medical facilities and changed staff loke 3x
If I’m the hornets, I try and flip Miles Bridges and get Zion. Low risk, high reward move
high risk high reward * but depending on the contract i’d be down with it
Is miles bridges a long term fit for you guys?
You can dump him and one of your bad contracts and a pick to get Zion.
He’s an interesting case. Him being a horrible person aside:
I think I’d be happy with the trade you outlined, but it feels a lot riskier than giving another year of whatever started clicking in 2026 a shot.
I think you guys are looking at getting rid of Miles either way in the post season, getting a real full size center in free agency, and moving Diabate to a 4⁄5 hybrid position.
The Hornets fundamental weaknesses all stem from how they get out sized in the paint.
We don’t want your domestic abuser.
And why do the pelicans do this?
Two words
Joe Dumars
Lamelo with Zion would be the most fun team to watch.
Been saying it for 2 years now.
It’s a surprisingly unpopular opinion within the fan base tbh. I genuinely don’t know of a better landing spot for him, though. He’d have as long a leash here as anywhere, off the strength of being a Dukie alone. Add in the fact that he’d be the biggest splash move the Hornets have ever made? I think it could really work…
Will never sell my stakes on Zion island, my boy seems healthy and in shape.
He will cook as 2cnd/3rd player somewhere.
He will definitely cook
If you count microwave lasagna as cooking, he definitely will 🤣
He more like frozen Costco lasagna. So still pretty good.
Yeah I like him like he has that Miami reclamation project all over him lol, the second he will be in a team with a better structure or something.
He will cook !
There’s a good player in there, just needs the right situation to turn it into winning
Moriah Mills broke this man
🌪️
Nobody survives the tornado trick
he’d be an interesting role player on say… the lakers
Can we get through the playoffs before we nominate the next star the Lakers are gunna try to lure there?
the next star 😭😭🙏
You and I both know that’s exactly how the media is gunna sell it!
What i actually hate so much about the lakers, is that for some reason i cant stop it from working on me. If zion joined the lakers it wouldnt matter what my brain was telling me, my heart would be like “ofcourse LA gets zion.. the greatest player to ever grace the court, a living legend, how do they keep getting away with this”
Kind of like when the warriors signed DeMarcus Cousins lol
Yeah, unfortunately i was in a constant state of overrating boogie for a very long time lol. I thought him and AD were gonna run shit in nawlins. Then he held his girl at gunpoint or whatever ignorant shit he was up to with his scary crybaby ass
Zion would be a menace on a team like the lakers where he’d be the third option. He was overhyped, but let’s not get it twisted the guys ceiling is still unseen on the pelicans.
No no, keep spitting i’m listening
hawk tuah, there ya go bud
thank you daddy
What just happened? No one here consented to this
Man, I need to go outside
Another ball dominant guy who can’t defend consistently. Maybe a fourth one of those is what they’ve been missing.
Lebron should be leaving by the time zions contract can be reasonable so you get three dudes that need the ball and cant defend
Do it you cowards
What role player doesn’t shoot or defend?
Zion is basically how the Wemby doubters thought/hoped he’d turn out to be. Talent can’t do it alone, mentality is almost half the battle.
Injuries also. They made the playoffs three years ago but he was injured
Going on your victory lap a little early buddy. Yao Ming played 80+ games his first 3 seasons. Lets see how a 7’6 big man ages over the next few years
I mean the guy has been injured a bunch, but still scored insanely efficiently on high volume when he plays, I mean hes ay 21ppg on 60% this season through 62 games lol.
Wemby was also drafted by one of the best organizations in the league, and Zion to one of the worst.
Zion has the facial expressions and body language of a middle-aged, defeated man who’s dreams never materialized.
Hope the guy can turn it around
Pelicans really didn’t even try to tank and lost 56 games Zion even played 62 and nobody batted an eye damn it’s tough
He’s a big reason they never make the playoffs. Some years a bigger reason than in other years, but always a big reason. If he could maintain being a smaller reason, they might have a chance.
This. Once Zion leaves the Pelicans will be able to actually build a team and have a resurgence.
Do you guys watch basketball? People in here saying “he can turn it around” as if he’s an underperforming player. Zion is literally one of the best players in the league when healthy and this season he cemented that. The tone of these comments is hilarious 😂
Lmao they’re acting like he’s fucking garbage if he had a good team around him and he could stay healthy which is major if he’d be going crazy
But he’s never healthy. The best players in the league actually get their teams to the playoffs, which he never did.
The players who got the Pelicans to the playoffs when Zion got hurt and they traded away? Are all back in the playoffs while Zion is being given the “next season will be my year” pass.
Jo? God I hope he isn’t referring to Jordan Poole as the champion to take him under his wing.
thank god
Not exactly who you’d want either. I still can’t believe he traded this year’s first round pick just to Derik Queen lmao
Dude is never healthy. Blame the pelicans, but he had decent teams around him multiple times and was always injured.
Crazy, a DT type body that’s jumping on hard wood would have injury issues.
Plz let some team get desperate and trade a load for Zion. He’s very very good Tbf. He’s just always very very injured
Zion was really healthy this year and it really felt like he wasnt that game breaking player like how Wemby currently is, it seems like him dominating the paint is a thing of the past. He was still an efficient slasher but nothing going on besides that.
Hopefully he will keep grinding and he definitely will have his chance in the playoffs
I seriously don’t think he cares. Like maybe in the moment, but then by next week he’s no longer motivated by it. He just has zero discipline.
At this point if he does get better, it’ll be with another team. Only place I can seriously think he’d end up becoming the player he was projected to be is with the Heat.
Mainly because I live in Miami now and the food here is mid af so i think he could manage.
The first step is recognizing the issue, the second step is taking accountability, the third step is implementation. He’s got the first two now with the work he puts in over the summer hopefully it translates to the season.
He’s basically overpriced Ayton at this point
When you dont take your diet serious for years, this is what happens.
Theres enough talent on that team next year for them to be a playoff team, its on him as a max player to set the tone on both ends.
He should take responsibility, spend the entire offseason working on his defense and stamina
Send him somewhere cold and with shit food
Zion Giannis trade?
Watching him play is so frustrating because he’s clearly so talented and even now he borderline unstoppable when driving but dammit the boy just can’t stay healthy!
This dude sat out of the only playoffs he couldve played cause he didnt feel like playing
Cry me a river
He’s held NO hostage for years , you get the career you practice for. Overpaid and underwhelming is his NBA career. Your rich at least
Its not like I follow him super closely or anything outside of year 1 but the times I do see/hear from him I feel like he comes across so likable. Shame for everyone that injuries have followed him so much
Isnt he still very good? Its just he cant stay healthy over a long period right? Im sorry but i dont watch the Pels at all
Zion Williamson during his exit interview: “I want to experience the beetus…It’s frustrating getting up in this golden corral every day and not being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. And I take my responsibility in that”