New Orleans Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr. went on Twitter to defend his teammate, Zion Williamson, after NBA insider Ric Bucher said Williamson has shown “no interest” in developing his game.
Nance Jr. said he’s worked out with Williamson enough to know that the All-Star cares about basketball.
Here is what Bucher said on his podcast about Williamson that irritated Nance Jr.: “Where are the floaters, up and under layups, his pull-up jumpers at the elbow? Now from what I’ve been told, he’s shown no interest in developing any of those tricks.”
Williamson has been under heavy scrutiny ever since a report came out that he refused to work with the Pelicans’ former head trainer. It hasn’t been a smooth ride for Williamson in New Orleans since he was drafted with the first overall pick in the 2019 draft. The lefty has only appeared in 114 out of possible 308 regular-season games.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Zion Williamson & New Orleans Pelicans Updates
Williamson played in 24 games in his rookie year and 61 games in his sophomore year. The Duke product then missed his entire third year and appeared in just 29 games last season. The Pelicans still signed Williamson to a five-year, $194.3 million designated rookie contract extension in July 2022. Many people around the NBA believe that move was a mistake by New Orleans.
When he’s been on the court, Williamson has been a superstar. The North Carolina native has career averages of 25.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists. However, there have been questions about Williamson’s diet and commitment to basketball.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Zion Williamson & New Orleans Pelicans Updates
Nance Jr., though, is painting a different picture. He’s claiming Williamson has worked hard on his craft.
It will be interesting to see if Williamson is able to stay healthy next season and lead the Pelicans to the playoffs. New Orleans is only 57-57 when Williamson plays.
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