At 21-54, the Pelicans have the second-worst record in the Western Conference in 2024-25. New Orleans is 7-30 on the road this season. Tied with the Hornets and Jazz for the worst road record.
In the 2019 NBA draft, New Orleans used the first overall pick to draft Zion Williamson out of Duke. Over his six years in the NBA, Williamson has battled a plethora of injuries. Williamson has missed significant time in his career due to injury. Recently, Stephen A. Smith called Williamson a “bust” in terms of his availability for the Pelicans.
Zion Williamson continues to have his career derailed by injuries
“The word ‘bust’ comes to mind.”
— Stephen A. Smith on Zion Williamson
On Monday, the New Orleans Pelicans announced they were shutting down Zion Williamson and C.J. McCollum for the remainder of 2024-25. The team has just seven games left this season. Williamson will have played in 30 of their 82 games. Since he entered the NBA, Williamson will have missed 278 games. This includes the final seven games of the 2024-25 season. It’s been an uphill battle for the two-time all-star to stay fully healthy.
That’s why ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith called Williamson a “bust” in terms of his availability. Smith said that the former #1 overall pick is a “monster” on the court. However, being readily available for the Pelicans has been his biggest hurdle as a professional. Stephen A. was not out of line calling Williamson a “bust”. He’s missed nearly 300 games in his six NBA seasons.
The 24-year-old missed the entire 2021-22 season due to injury. If you do not count those 82 games, Williamson has still missed 196 over five seasons. He’s played over 60+ games twice in his career for the Pelicans. In three of his five healthy seasons, Williamson has played in 30 games or fewer. At this point, the Pelicans might be stuck with Williamson on their roster. Who would want to trade for a player who cannot stay healthy and is not readily available? New Orleans finds itself in a tough spot.
