DeMarcus Cousins flames Pelicans for handling of Zion Williamson
Yesterday at 02:57 PM
The New Orleans Pelicans have been bit by the injury bug to open up the 2024-25 NBA season, with several key players out of the lineup at the current juncture. One of those players is Zion Williamson, who does not appear to be very close to a return since injuring his hamstring earlier in the month, although the team is expected to get Dejounte Murray back from a hand fracture this week.
One person who has experience with the Pelicans is DeMarcus Cousins, who was traded there from the Sacramento Kings at the 2018 trade deadline but unfortunately tore his Achilles shortly thereafter.
Recently, Cousins took to the Run It Back Show, presented by FanDuel TV, to express his frustration at how the Pelicans have handled the Williamson situation.
“Let’s rewind all the way back. When this guy was getting drafted, we knew he was going to New Orleans, and there was a weight concern. That was bad then,” said Cousins. “New Orleans isn’t some place that just gives health. That’s a place you go and you gain ten pounds. You go out there, you drink, have a good time. That’s what the culture of New Orleans is, so to put that kid in that situation and expect him to thrive in it, that was the first mistake.”
It’s a bit unclear which aspect of the situation Cousins believes the Pelicans are actually at fault for.
Can the Pelicans save their season?
The Pelicans currently sit at 4-14, having seen Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, Williamson, and still others miss time so far this year.
New Orleans expected to be contenders in the vaunted Western Conference this year after acquiring Murray from the Atlanta Hawks in the offseason; however, as has been the case so often over the last few years, injuries appear to have derailed things before they even got off the ground.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t hope for the Pelicans to turn things around. Fans need look no further than the Milwaukee Bucks, who recently had their obituaries being prepared by most publications but have since rattled off five straight wins, to see just how quickly a team can change its fortunes in the NBA.
Still, the Pelicans have dug themselves quite a hole so far, and it will be very difficult to claw out of if Williamson is out of the lineup for too much longer.
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