"That s**t is hard to cut" - Carmelo Anthony suggests Zion Williamson to trick himself for cutting down on munchies

Zion Williamson might be under the most pressure of his NBA career since losing to the LA Lakers in the In-Season Tournament semifinal. He has been under severe criticism for failing to control his diet and weight, including from Carmelo Anthony, who said that Williamson should slowly work on his weight on his “7pm in Brooklyn” podcast.

In the offseason, the Pelicans seemed more than happy with Williamson working hard on his body and game. David Griffin, the Pelicans' executive vice president of basketball operations, said that Williamson spent more time in the time gym than he had ever seen. Considering that, there were high hopes for the young star.

Anthony urged Zion Williamson to work on his diet.

“You got to be disciplined when you are that," Anthony said. "You are not gonna have that longevity that we all talking about if you are not disciplined. … I know he works. It’s just that s**t (he got) is hard to cut.

"So, even if he lose 20 pounds, 30 pounds, it don’t look like none. He is just built like that, but you have to have discipline. … You just start slowly breaking your s**t down.”

After the 133-89 loss to the Lakers on Dec. 7, Williamson was the main focus of the media’s criticism for the 44-point loss. He looked passive throughout the game. He looked tired on the court, which could be attributed to his weight.

Stephen A. Smith rips Zion Williamson for his weight

After the New Orleans Pelicans' loss to the LA Lakers in the semifinal of the In-Season Tournament, Zion Williamson took the brunt of the blame. Williamson scored 13 points but looked unmotivated.

Williamson might have received the most ruthless criticism of his NBA career. Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley called out Zion, who looked more exhausted than the 38-year LeBron James.

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith also ripped Williamson for the disappointing night, calling him out for being out of shape by NBA standards. Smith said that he saw a belly on Williamson when the player walked up to the free-throw line.

“It is shameful," Smith said. "I got chefs in New Orleans. I’m not exaggerating. I’m not exaggerating. I’m quoting people. You got chefs in New Orleans who love him. They’re looking for him. Every chef there wants to meet him because they know he’ll show up to their restaurant. The word out on Zion Williamson is that he’ll eat the table.”

Irrespective of what Smith said about Williamson, the No. 1 pick of the 2019 draft has struggled to maintain his weight, and he has missed a significant portion of his career due to injuries. Williamson, who missed all of the 2021-22 season with a broken foot, played only 114 of a possible 308 games and also missed all nine of the Pelicans' postseason games in his first four seasons.