New Orleans Pelicans v Los Angeles Lakers: Semifinals – 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament
Zion Williamson has to be better.
Zion came out flat, almost disinterested in the biggest game of the Pelicans season Thursday night — In-Season Tournament semi-finals in Las Vegas on national television against LeBron and the Lakers. The issues that have plagued him all season were laid bare by Los Angeles:
• He has become a terrible defender that other teams target.
• He isn’t consistently aggressive going to the rim, almost wanting to be more of a facilitator.
• We rarely see his legendary busts, and even then he’s not as explosive as he once was.
• His conditioning is in question (to be kind about it).
• He is maybe the third-best player on a team where he should be the unquestioned No. 1 option.
• Zion finished with 13 points and two rebounds.
This was Zion’s second consecutive flat performance (10 points, six assists vs. the Kings in a game the Pelicans won thanks to Brandon Ingram). After Thursday’s game, Williamson said all the right things — as he has done in the past. Via William Guillory of The Athletic:
“I’ve got to be better. I’ve got to be more aggressive finding my shot. I’ve got to do more things to get my team going,” Williamson said. “I think I was too laid back tonight. I can’t do that. Defensively, I’ve got to be better.”
Actions matter, not words.
Zion was a stark contrast with LeBron James Thursday — and not because of LeBron’s 30-point outing. It was because of the energy and passion LeBron played with — he wanted this game, not just to be in Vegas. LeBron and Zion were both touched by the basketball gods with otherworldly physical gifts, but LeBron has spent 21 seasons maximizing everything he could get out of his body and mind. LeBron is committed, every day. Zion flashes his potential but then coasts through games like he did Thursday. We all read stories about his personal chef and commitment conditioning, but we watch him play and have reason to question that commitment.
New Orleans has built a team with the potential to be very good, a top-four team in the West that could be a threat…
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