The New Orleans Pelicans dropped their third straight game, falling 122-116 to the Denver Nuggets, and this loss continues to solidify my opinion of Zion Williamson and his future with the Pelicans.
New Orleans didn’t necessarily lose this game because of Williamson’s play. This game proved that the Pelicans need Williamson less than ever during his seven-year tenure with the organization. While reports indicate the Pelicans are unwilling to part ways with the former No. 1 overall pick at this year’s trade deadline, performances like Tuesday’s make you wonder why the franchise is so reluctant to move on.
Missed opportunities
Coming into this game, I expected a huge performance from Williamson, as the Nuggets started Aaron Gordon at center in the absence of Nikola Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas. On paper, these are the types of matchups in which a player with Williamson’s skills and downhill scoring ability should thrive, but he shot just 41.7 percent from the field, took just 12 shots and finished with 12 points.
Obviously, the combination of Peyton Watson and Aaron Gordon as small-ball rim protectors could be as good as you can get when you’re forced to not play true center. However, as a two-time All-Star who is still in the prime of his career and has done so 71.4 percent of his shots comes into focus this season, performances like this will undoubtedly raise concerns.
The biggest appeal with Williamson is his ability to get to the rim and finish at a high level, but if he doesn’t, what value does he bring? He’s not a floor spacer, he’s not an elite defender and he doesn’t need to be an offensive hub because that’s the role of rookie big man Derik Queen, so how can he help this team?
It is not only frustrating but extremely worrying to see Saddiq Bey outperform Williamson, while being paid just over a sixth of Williamson’s salary. Bey only took eight shots tonight, but shot 50 percent from the field, reached the foul line ten times and finished with 17 points.
Realistically, if you gave Bey half of Williamson’s shots on top of the shots he had already taken, the Pelicans would probably win this game. But since Z has a reputation as a goal scorer, the Pelicans are forced to give him the ball.
Looking night in and night out, we see that Trey Murphy III is by far the team’s best all-around scorer and can carry most of the team’s offensive load. Murphy III had his seventh game of the season in which he scored 30 or more points on Tuesday evening. Williamson’s role was the go-to guy for years, but with the rise of Murphy III, he is no longer needed.
To me, it’s clear that this current team would thrive much more with the floor spacing and complementary players around it Murphy III, Derik Koninginand Jeremiah then fears Williamson. I may sound like a broken record, but if the Pelicans front office is serious about building a winner in New Orleans, it starts with the departure of Zion Williamson.
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