The New Orleans Pelicans can't quit Zion Williamson and are setting themselves up for disappointment.
At least for now, it appears that the offseason plan for the New Orleans Pelicans is to continue with the status quo. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Pelicans intend to continue to build around Zion Williamson, for now. While it may seem like the "right" move at the moment, the added context of the polarizing start for Zion, both on and off the court, does add another layer to this entire situation that's important. It's one that suggests that the Pelicans are probably setting themselves up for disappointment once again.
It's a tale as old as time. Zion is an extremely talented player who A) can't remain healthy and B) even when he is healthy, he's not as consistent as the Pelicans want him to be. Whether that's because he isn't in great shape or the fact that he's not entirely focused remains to be seen, but there have clearly been issues between Zion and the team in the past. That, aside from the injuries, is one of the bigger reasons why there had even been previous whispers of a potential trade of Zion.
History is not on Zion Williamson's side
Nevertheless, as the new decision-makers in the front office try to make things right with Zion, the unfortunate truth is that history is probably not on his side. Over the course of the first few years of his career, Zion has missed roughly 270 regular-season games. He's only played in 214. Injuries have certainly taken a toll on Zion's career and have blurred his overall true value.
Again, when he has been healthy and engaged, the argument can be made that Zion is one of the most dominating frontcourt players in the game. But the fact that he's only averaging less than 40 games played through the first six years of his NBA career is not a great sign for his future.
The Pelicans are clearly betting that trend will soon begin to change. That may be considered wishful thinking at this point, but at the same time, it's also difficult to blame the Pelicans. With Joe Dumars stepping in as the new head of basketball operations for the Pelicans, it's only natural for him to want to try to salvage the Zion situation. At the very least, this is probably the short-term right play for the Pelicans.
However, they have to be willing to pivot when the disaster does end up striking. If history is any indication, it's hard to believe that Zion's career arc is going to completely change at this point in his career. I may be wrong, but history tells us that the Pelicans are foolishly hoping for something that may already be set in the stars.