Zion Williamson can’t be more frustrated by the public’s perception of his ongoing availability for the New Orleans Pelicans.
“It’s tough. I can’t lie,” Williamson said Tuesday, per ESPN’s Andrew Lopez. “From my perspective, I just want to play basketball. I want to hoop, I want to play the game I love. But the reality of it is whether I check my phone, whether I’m just watching TV, no matter what it is, I can’t really escape what the world thinks, what people’s opinions are. So, it’s frustrating.”
Williamson was only limited to 29 games this season, missing the last 45 games for the Pelicans because of a hamstring injury that had multiple setbacks in the recovery process. This could have been that much-awaited season for the franchise cornerstone as he went on to average 26 points, seven rebounds, and 4.6 assists.
He notably sat down for the full season of 2021-22 as he recovered from a foot injury and managed his weight.
“When I go to make certain moves, there is that hesitation,” Williamson said. “Sometimes there’s not and sometimes there is. And I understand the magnitude of these games coming up and I don’t want to be out there hesitating or doing something that may affect my team in a bad way.”
Williamson got no choice but to support his team’s exploits this year. The Pelicans will face the Oklahoma City Thunder for the right to advance on the second part of the Play-In tourney to face the losing club between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves. The winner will ultimately occupy the last seat in the playoffs and will face the top-seed Denver Nuggets.
