Zion Williamson Describes Keeping Composure Amidst Adrian Wojnarowski’s ‘Trade Tweets’ Of The Past

The NBA is a shrewd business that demands teams to constantly get better, often by trading players or signing free agents. Zion Williamson spoke about this topic in an interview, highlighting the importance of the players’ comfort during times of distress—contract extensions and trade deadlines. According to Williamson, a player only relaxes after they are guaranteed a spot on the roster following the conclusion of the trade deadline.

Players are expected to behave like professionals and are expected to maintain their composure and prevent any baseless rumors from hampering their game throughout the season. However, they do inevitably hear the noise and have an idea of the ongoings related to them. As Williamson states, players are also “human” and want to gauge an idea of what their future looks like.

“We’re human here… Whether it’s contracts, trade deadline, anything, we hear it… I think once everybody on the team gets to that comfortable spot where they know they’re on the team, I think for a lot of teams, it’s after trade deadline, because no more moves can be made,” Zion explained.

Adrian Wojnarowski’s “Woj Bombs” and Shams Charania’s updates have caused a massive stir in the basketball world. Quite a few times, players have learned about their trades through these Woj or Shams’ updates, rather than through their own teams.

“I (players) don’t have to worry about waking up and seeing, even though he retired, seeing Woj tweet, I just got traded somewhere,” Williamson concluded.

The Pelicans have constantly been in the headlines for trade-related news. Early in the offseason, Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., and Jonas Valanciunas were among those who had to part ways with the organization. Additionally, Brandon Ingram’s name was in trade rumors all summer. This testing period even witnessed his relationship get sour with David Griffin’s front office.

Williamson does not need to worry about such rumors. Yes, he’s had an injury-riddled career that prevented him from reaching his full potential. Despite the same, the 6ft 6” forward remains the organization’s most valuable asset.

Williamson amazed fans with a 16-point performance in the Pelicans’ preseason opener

Zion has missed 216 regular season games through the first five campaigns of his career. However, when healthy, he has dominated the floor. Averaging 24.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game since getting drafted in 2019, Williamson’s made it to two All-Star teams.

From what his performance from NOLA’s preseason opener suggests, the former Duke Blue Devil hopes to add to his resume. He was restricted to 19 minutes against the Orlando Magic. The southpaw found a way to help his team win by recording 16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals on a highly efficient 72.7% FG.

Williamson will be the focal point of Willie Green’s offense. While the 24-year-old is expected to carry the majority of the offensive load, the likes of Ingram, Dejounte Murray, and CJ McCollum will also need to contribute massively to the team’s success.

The Pelicans are not title contenders or a powerhouse team. However, this roster is capable of upsetting other powerhouses if they remain healthy. New Orleans’ chance of making it past the first round of the playoff has never been better.