New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson told former NBA guard Gilbert Arenas that it’s “hard” to diet in the NBA. Williamson was listed at 284 pounds last season. There have been several questions about his diet and commitment to basketball.
Williamson has only appeared in 114 out of possible 308 regular-season games since being drafted by the Pelicans with the first overall pick in the 2019 draft out of Duke. The lefty played in 24 games in his rookie year and 61 games in his sophomore year. Williamson then missed his entire third year and appeared in just 29 games last season.
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 while shooting 60.5% from the field. However, the Pelicans are only 57-57 when Williamson plays.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Zion Williamson & New Orleans Pelicans Updates
The Pelicans were interested in trading up in the 2023 draft to select Scoot Henderson. There were rumors about New Orleans trading Williamson to the Portland Trail Blazers, who drafted Henderson. However, no deal was made.
Williamson signed a five-year, $194.3 million designated rookie contract extension with the Pelicans in July 2022. New Orleans vice president of basketball operations David Griffin told Sirus XM Radio during Summer League in Las Vegas that the franchise’s relationship with Williamson is “as good as it’s ever been.”
“I would say it’s as good as it’s ever been actually,” Griffin said. “He’s coming out here to join the team to be with Herb [Jones] and Trey [Murphy] and some of these veterans that are here. … I would say it’s as good as it’s been. I think what’s unfortunate is he is a name that generates clicks no matter what the link says. ‘Zion puts on his socks.’ People click on that. And so it makes it really easy for people to manufacture rumors around him because they don’t have to have any kind of actual credibility behind what they say to generate clicks.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Zion Williamson & New Orleans Pelicans Updates
Williamson averaged 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists last season. He’s expected to be ready for training camp.
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