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Zion Williamson was in the spotlight a month ago for the wrong reasons. He was slammed on social media by former adult film actress Moriah Mills for several things that many deemed to be bordering on extortion.
One of the things Mills accused him of was his alleged lack of discipline and effort to recover from injuries or to stay in shape. Recent photos of “Zanos” looking ripped and ready to bounce back caused people on Twitter to instantly react:
“Should Moriah Mills win Executive of the Year?”
Zion Williamson played only 29 games last season, which is incredibly the second-most in his four-year NBA career. A hamstring injury against the Philadelphia 76ers on January 2 torpedoed yet another season.
The New Orleans Pelicans were hopeful that he would return after three to four weeks. By the second week of February, Williamson’s return to action was moved indefinitely as he re-aggravated the injury.
Fans were frustrated and lambasted Williamson when he dunked in warm-ups as the Pelicans were chasing a spot in the play-in tournament. “Zanos” only made things more complicated when he told the media that he was fine physically but didn’t feel like himself, hence his absence.
Pelicans vice president of basketball operations David Griffin tried to clarify the situation by saying the star player was never given clearance to play. Still, fans thought the oft-injured superstar could have done better to recover from the said injury.
Moriah Mills’ accusations about Zion Williamson’s lack of discipline and effort, whether true or not, only highlighted his lack of availability. He acknowledged that keeping in shape was a struggle on Paul George's podcast.
The former No. 1 pick vowed to be better and claimed to follow LeBron James’ blueprint to staying in shape. Whether that happens next season remains to be seen.
Zion Williamson could lead the New Orleans Pelicans to the playoffs next season
Without Zion Williamson, the New Orleans Pelicans were a borderline playoff team. They reached the play-in tournament and lost a back-and-forth thriller to the OKC Thunder. The Pelicans may not have needed to go through the pre-playoff round had “Zanos” been healthy.
Next season, the Pelicans will have another chance to get into the postseason. They will have Brandon Ingram, who could be poised for a superb 2023 FIBA World Cup campaign as another legitimate star on the roster.
New Orleans still have CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Larry Nance, Jose Alvarado, Jonas Valanciunas, and lottery pick Jordan Hawkins.
A ready and hungry Zion Williamson could carry them back to the postseason. That is if he can keep his focus and stay in shape.
