Pelicans encourged by Zion Williamson's response to public scolding

Yesterday at 01:48 PM

Being publicly called out is one of the worst situations for any professional. Everyone looks at you for the wrong reasons, and the ridicule is ramped up to a different level. These scoldings take different forms, but the message was clear after the New Orleans Pelicans addressed some issues with Zion Williamson. The standard was not being met and there were consequences. However, the Pelicans sound encouraged by Williamson’s response to the one-game timeout.

Williamson was a scratch in a nailbiting 119-116 home win over the Dallas Mavericks on January 15. It was the second night of a back-to-back set so Willie Green had to again get creative with the rotations. Thankfully, Trey Murphy III saved the day and Williamson was on the bench cheering after every play. That’s a welcome sight after previously missing a Smoothie King Center game due to what the team labeled “doctor’s orders.”

It was the wrong message to send to the locker room and the team’s fans. It seemingly was another step in enabling bad habits stemming from previous behaviors. The front office finally took action to nip the lackadaisical approach in the bud. By all accounts, Williamson knew the suspension was appropriate.

“This is my job. They were holding me accountable. All I can do is be better,” Williamson said. “There are consequences for actions and that was my consequence.”

As for where Williamson can improve moving forward?

“A lot of things you do on the court, off the court, and even when nobody's watching,” Williamson said. “Just continue to grow as a leader there and just, on the court, off the court, it’s all I can do.”

Veterans like CJ McCollum want to see more consistency before calling the suspension a success.

"I think he's taking strides in the right direction," McCollum said. "I think it's just more about asserting yourself and applying yourself each day. We know what needs to be done on a day-to-day basis in order to be successful. We know what winning habits look like and what types of habits aren't necessarily built towards success."

Pelicans need Zion Williamson to actually play

Willie Green knows the team is better when Williamson is on the court though.

“(Williamson) is incredible. When he touches the floor, everything gets better,” Green said in Chicago. “You can feel his energy. You can feel his gravity. In 23 minutes, 21 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, that’s incredible. It’s great to have him on the floor with our guys.”

Herb Jones (shoulder) will be out for a while. Brandon Ingram (ankle) could be back relatively soon. Williamson (load management) will be touch and go but the Pelicans are starting to win games now that most of the team is healthy. The 24-year-old is playing a big part with some All-Star performances that remind fans of what could be.

Williamson was 10-of-14 from the field and looked to be unstoppable paired with Murphy III (32 points) in the road win over the Chicago Bulls (119-113).

“You see how the defense tries to guard you, and most times they will send a double-team and try to load the paint, and I trust my shooters,” Williamson quipped. “I was able to find them a lot (against the Bulls) and they knocked shots down.”

The duo was not quite as lethal in a one-point road loss to the defending champion Boston Celtics (120-119) but there were plenty of encouraging moments. On and off the court. After an initial flurry of reports about Zion Williamson missing flights and other team events, the Pelicans have looked to be on the same page.

That is the kind of radio silence that cannot be ignored. Forget the trade rumors rumblings after this response. New Orleans is betting on Williamson to maintain a certain level of professionalism moving forward. Now Willie Green’s Pelicans can focus on yet another long-odds run back into the NBA Play-In Tournament conversation. Fans might grumble about the Pelicans losing Cooper Flagg but building a winning culture around Williamson and Murphy III is more important.

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