This has been a weird summer for New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson and it has seemingly created a divide around the league on the player he can be in 2023-2024 and if he is worth the hassle.
Zion Williamson is one of the biggest enigma’s in the NBA today. The player that was taken with the top overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft has shown he has the talent to be one of the faces of the league. For his career, he is averaging just over 25 points and seven rebounds while also shooting nearly 61 percent from the field.
Related: NBA power rankings – Ranking all 30 teams heading into August
Yet the actual time he has been on the floor is shockingly limited. Over four seasons, the 23-year-old has played in only 114 games, missed one entire season, and has played in 30 or fewer games in two others. It has been a frustrating process for the New Orleans Pelicans as they want to maximize the absurd upside Williamson has.
Due to only getting on the floor for 29 games this past year, in a season that seemed to have so much promise, rumors of the team trading Zion Williamson swirled in the week before the NBA Draft. Obviously, the Pelicans did not trade the two-time All-Star but the idea it could happen in the next year seems as possible as ever. The funny thing is that the talented forward is just as bewildering a player for others around the league as he is for his own team.
Some in NBA think Zion Williamson will be an MVP candidate next season
On Thursday, The Athletic’s Pelicans beat writer William Guillory offered up an interesting perspective on Williamson based on various opinions he received from some inside the NBA during this year’s edition of Summer League.
“During my time in Vegas, I heard opinions from a few folks who were all over the place when it comes to Williamson and his current value. I had one person associated with a team tell me New Orleans should pull the plug on his era while they have the chance this offseason. I had another person tell me he believes Williamson is going to be fueled by all the controversy this summer and become an MVP candidate in 2023-24.”
– William Guillory
- Zion Williamson stats (’22-’23): 29 G, 26.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.1 SPG
You can’t get more opposing opinions than that of the star big man. As of now, Zion Williamson is supposed to be ready for training camp in October after dealing with a hamstring injury all season.