- Zion Williamson was poor as his Pelicans lost to the Lakers in Las Vegas
- And the Pelicans are still reportedly pleading with him to change his habits
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Zion Williamson fell well short of expectations in his team’s loss to the Lakers on Thursday night, and it’s brought his ongoing conditioning issues to the forefront once again.
The 2019 No. 1 overall pick scored just 13 points in the In-Season Tournament semifinal as the Pelicans were blown out 133-89.
And after the disappointing performance, in which the forward at times appeared to struggle getting back on defense, NOLA.com reported that the Pelicans have ‘repeatedly stressed to Williamson that his diet and conditioning need to improve.’
However, the report said, Williamson, ‘doesn’t listen.’
The piece also said that Williamson was struggling to breathe less than five minutes into the Lakers game.
Zion Williamson has struggled with weight and injury issues throughout his career
LeBron James led the Lakers to a blowout win with 30 points and eight assists in Vegas
The 23-year-old said after the game, ‘I have to be more aggressive. [LeBron James] was aggressive. His teammates saw that, and the energy carried over. I have to be more aggressive and get off to better starts in games.’
As noted by Williamson, 38-year-old James was extremely impressive in Las Vegas, as he scored 30 points to go along with eight assists and five rebounds.
James has been remarkably durable throughout his 21-year career, while Williamson has frequently struggled with weight and injury issues.
He played 29 games or less in three of his first four seasons.
Still, his Pelicans are a respectable 12-11 thus far and are just 2.5 games out of the West’s No. 2 seed.
