Is It Too Late for Zion Williamson?

Is It Too Late for Zion Williamson?

Recently, a video was posted of Zion Williamson putting in work at the gym once again. For what feels like the 200th season in a row. 

On one hand, he’s a Shaq-like player in a 6 foot 6 body. On the other hand, he’s an overweight liability who lacks the ability to stay on the court consistently. Both can be true, and it just does not feel over for him yet.

Last season, Zion sneakily had a healthy season, at least by his standards. Zion put up 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists on 60% shooting in 62 games. This efficiency from two point range, which comes from a shot diet mainly in the paint, was only 2% under his best season in 2020-2021. Of course, the Pelicans were awful, but much of that came from bad coaching and a roster that while talented, did not fit whatsoever. 

So, this begs the question: is it still too late for Zion Williamson?

As a Pelican, maybe. This franchise has not helped the situation at all, and has shown that with the absolute incompetence on display this offseason. The Pelicans have only signed one new free agent (Kobe Bufkin), and have made virtually no adjustments to a team that only won 26 games.

And sure, they were not the healthiest, but realistically what is the ceiling for this team? 35 wins? 40 wins? It’s about time that Zion gets a change of scenery. Give Zion the opportunity that Ja Morant got. Because at least he can go to a place that’s more serious about winning.

Maybe a winning environment could turn around his bad habits. Get him truly in shape and keep him healthy. Of course, his huge contract does not help matters. But, if he starts the season similar to how last season went, he’s still the same player, just in a distressed situation. It's not too late for Zion Williamson as a player, but it’s too late for Zion Williamson as a Pelican. He needs change, and so does the franchise he was drafted to.