Zion Williamson is a phenomenal talent, a top 15 or maybe even a top 10 player in the NBA. He led the New Orleans Pelicans to a 23-13 record before Jan. 2, but he hasn’t played since because of injuries. Now the Pelicans are 36-37 and free-falling in the Western Conference.
FiveThirtyEight gives New Orleans — which holds ninth in the West — a 25% chance of making the postseason. Before Williamson’s injury, the Pelicans’ chances were above 90%. Williamson’s absence is the biggest reason for the Pelicans to consider dealing the former No. 1 overall pick.
“Part of ability,” the saying goes in sports, “is availability.”
In the past two seasons, though. Williams has played in 29 games. For his career, he has played 114 of 328 possible games (34.7%) with New Orleans. With him playing, per StatMuse, the Pelicans are 57-57. Without him, they are 76-109.
Availability and dependability go hand-in-hand. Based on the data, Williamson is not dependable.
While some may argue that it’s too early for New Orleans to ditch Williamson, it may be too late if he has another injury-plagued season like this one. If he has another season without playing at least 40 games, his value on the open market could substantially drop.
Williamson’s downhill and vertical play, combined with his size (6-foot-6, 284 pounds), make him a high risk for injuries. The lower body is not made to support all that constant force and pressure that Williamson puts on it.
This is why trading Williamson may be in New Orleans’ best interest.
“Can you trust him to be your franchise guy? No,” former NBA player Kendrick Perkins said recently on ESPN’s “First Take.” “You can’t trust that he’s going to be available.” Perkins advocates trading Williamson.
In 39 games this season, Williamson has averaged 26 points, seven rebounds and 4.6 assists and shot 60.8% from the field. His numbers are certainly enough to draw significant interest across the league. But GM David Griffin must act fast.
In 2019, Griffin dealt Anthony Davis, another injury-prone player, to the Lakers for a boatload of assets.
Maybe he can do it again… before it’s too late.
