Behind-the-Scenes Conflict Grows Between Zion Williamson and the Pelicans

By Uddipta Das On Jun 22, 2023 0

There is no doubt that Zion Williamson, who plays for the New Orleans Pelicans, is one of the NBA‘s best young players when he is fit. He excels at close-range scoring and shows remarkable athleticism and talent, signalling his future potential as a superstar.

Even though Zion Williamson is very talented, it’s obvious that he has had some problems outside of playing basketball.

Tensions between Zion Williamson and the Pelicans

A recent report by Will Guillory of The Athletic said that both the team and Zion Williamson have become increasingly frustrated with each other in the past few months. In fact, it is said that the team plans to trade him before the NBA Draft.

“Still, even if Williamson isn’t moved before Thursday night, that is far from the end of this story. It’s only the beginning, as behind-the-scenes tensions between Williamson and the Pelicans have intensified over the past few months,” Guillory said.

Sometimes, frustration can get really intense. But it is important for the Pelicans to find a way to work things out with Zion Williamson because he has the skills to be the main player on a championship-winning team. This season, Zion Williamson averaged 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game for the New Orleans Pelicans. He had a shooting percentage of 60.8%, which shows that he is extremely efficient.

Off-court controversies of Williamson

Many fans have had a negative view of Zion Williamson due to his off-court controversies about his relationship with Moriah Mills. However, it’s not just the fans who see it that way. Important people in the Pelicans organization have also felt let down by Williamson.

“There has been frenzied speculation about New Orleans dealing with Williamson. The Athletic reported that the Pelicans want to move up in the 2023 draft to select guard Scoot Henderson. Williamson would, presumably, be a key part of a trade up to the top 3 in the draft. Also, high-ranking members of the organization have been dismayed by recent off-court developments around Williamson, as other outlets have noted. The organization recently fired assistant coach Teresa Weatherspoon, a Naismith Hall of Famer who was instrumental in the development of several young Pelicans, including Williamson. Those reading the tea leaves may surmise that Weatherspoon’s firing was related to the team’s issues with Williamson,” Ian Begley wrote.

Zion Williamson’s trade is still not certain. However, there have been clear hints that it could occur.

Zion Williamson