Robert De Niro’s character in A Bronx Tale once told us, “The saddest thing in life is wasted talent.” It’s a statement that feels too close to home for Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans, as the former No. 1 pick has been ruled out for the rest of the year with a lower back injury. Zion has all the talent in the world, but he’s only played 214 games in six seasons, or an average of just over 35 per year. At this point, it’s fair to wonder if NBA fans will ever get to see Zion’s talent on full display long enough to make a difference in the league.
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Many factors go into Zion’s extensive injury history. He’s struggled with his weight and conditioning for his entire career, though he was playing at a lighter 264 pounds this season. He’s also suffered through a lot of plain old bad luck.
Shannon Sharpe talked about Zion’s health woes on last night’s Nightcap podcast, and he blamed the former Duke Blue Devil’s unprecedented combination of size and explosive athleticism for his inability to stay on the court.
“He has an 18-wheeler body, but he has a Ferrari engine in it,” Sharpe said. “He’s so explosive, he gets so much elevation.”
Sharpe pointed to LeBron James as another example of someone with a rare combination of size and athleticism, but he says the difference between Zion and LeBron is that LeBron takes better care of himself. “A lot of times LeBron, as soon as the game is over, he’s got ice packs on his back. He’s got his feet in the cold tub. He’s got ice packs on his knees.”
Zion Williamson needs to take better care of himself if he’s ever going to reach his ceiling as a player
Zion has all the ability in the world. Shortly before his injury, he put up the first two triple-doubles of his career, but as keeps happening with him, he couldn’t stay on the court. The old saying is true that the best ability is availability. If Zion can’t stay healthy, he can’t help the Pelicans, and he can’t ever hope to reach his ceiling as a player.
Sharpe said that Zion “was jumping like that at 284, 300 [pounds],” which took a heavy toll on his body. Even though he had slimmed down some this season, he still ended up only playing 30 games, and once again, it’s a lost season for the Pelicans, as they have the fourth-worst record in the league.
Zion needs to spend this offseason getting in the best shape of his life. That means slimming down even more, and committing to a recovery plan that will allow him to withstand the rigors of an 82-game season. With a top draft pick incoming and better injury luck across the entire roster, the Pelicans could be a contender next year if Zion could just stay on the court.
