“David Griffin’s comments are why old heads call this NBA era soft”: Kendrick Perkins slams Pelicans GM for defending Zion Williamson
Kendrick Perkins reacts incredibly controversially to David Griffin’s comments about referees not protecting Zion Williamson.
Zion Williamson as an absolute beast, there is no doubt about it. Since his very first game during his rookie season, he has bullied some of the best players in the game in the paint. However, while his style is incredible to watch, it does have its own consequences.
If you’re a player that’s unstoppable through legal means, players are going to foul you repeatedly. And worse, if you get those calls, you are only going to get fouled that much more, increasing the chances of a potential injury.
Recently, Williamson was revealed to have fractured the ring finger on his left hand. And when it happened, David Griffin went ballistic. The Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Pelicans criticized officials for their poor officiating when it came to Williamson, and how it encouraged other players to foul him more. He has since been fined for the statement.
The NBA community has been a bit divided on the matter. But it seems Kendrick Perkins very clear about his opinion on the subject. But unfortunately, it may be a slightly egregious one.
Kendrick Perkins slams David Griffin for his comments on Zion Williamson
Dominant players from throughout the ages have had to face getting fouled almost all the time. Shaquille O’Neal and Michael Jordan especially are prime examples of that. When they were fouled by teams at a certain point in their career, they gained a sort of killer instinct and a lot more muscle before the next season.
Doing this helped them overcome the illegal obstacles that came their way. And that seems to be where Perk is coming from. On a recent episode of ESPN’s ‘First Take’, the former player had this to say on the topic. Take a listen.
I had to address David Griffin comments today like the numbers on a house! His comments are part of the reason people call today’s NBA SOFT. Carry the hell on… https://t.co/nk0x8Bbk1c
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) May 10, 2021
Kendrick Perkins is partially correct here. Zion Williamson already has the body to dominate. Perhaps for him to take the next step, he needs to develop a killer instinct that punishes players for taking a swing at him.
However, David Griffin’s weren’t completely wrong either. Officiating in the NBA has been very controversial this season. Not only are technical fouls being dished out like Oprah giving cars, but an incredible number of fouls just aren’t being called.
So, for Zion Williamson, who essentially lives in the paint, he needs the officials to be more astute. And if they can’t do that, they could be the reason that Pelicans star one day suffers an injury that he can’t recover from.
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