ESPN Analyst Stephen A Smith firmly believes Zion Williamson put that story of him dunking only to show he wants out of NOLA
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Everyone is still waiting to see why Zion was the most anticipated rookie since LeBron James. His injury-riddled career so far is only a glimpse of what he can truly achieve in this league. A foot injury in summer and a bumpy rehab process kept out this season.
Zion is always at the center of scorn for his weight. Most fans believe he has been a blessing for restaurant owners in New Orleans, not the basketball fans. Being a professional athlete comes with certain responsibilities. And looking after your body and weight is foremost.
Especially for someone like Zion, who depends on his athleticism and dominates the paint, being light and quick is necessary as a 6’6 forward.
Earlier this week he posted a between-the-leg dunk video on Instagram. Williamson was not cleared to perform anything of that sort yet but the young star didn’t listen to the medical staff. While it lifted the hopes of every Pelicans fan, the media decided to psychoanalyze the whole situation.
Stephen A Smith says David Griffin is holding out Zion Williamson
The Dunk video caused an uproar in the media. When it was revealed that Williamson was not medically cleared for heavy on-court activities, every analyst presented his own interpretation of what went down.
Stephen A Smith’s basketball opinions are questionable but he has an interesting explanation for this situation.
“The reality is Zion don’t wanna be there. And when he put out that video, it was the latest example of how they’re not on the same page. He wants to play, he wants to solidify his status as a young star in this league while always praying that somebody will get him out of there.”
Smith adds, “When you got Griffin holding him out you got a player and his camp that may not necessarily trust him. They might think you being held out because we want you to play next year because the more you show now the more pressure might mount to get me the hell out of here. Which is a problem griffin might not want to deal with.”
Although far-fetched, this could be a possible reason. On draft night Zion made it pretty clear that he hoped to suit up for a big market team. Although he is engaging with the community in New Orleans his goals are still the same. It’s highly likely that Williamson will force his way out the first chance he gets.
The Pelicans are reluctant to bring him back this season even if they miraculously make the playoffs. They want to give Zion enough time to heal and take the league by storm next season.
