Why Zion Williamson is 'not in a panic' amid Pelicans' troublesom loss vs. Warriors

Today at 02:22 PM

The New Orleans Pelicans injury report shows they are hurting, there is no two ways about it. Willie Green has gotten two hard-earned wins out of a shorthand squad but it has taken a toll. Dejounte Murray (hand fracture) and Herb Jones (shoulder) are looking at extended periods on the sidelines. Trey Murphy III is aiming to return sometime in early November. Amid the mounting health concerns, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson feel the urgency to win from the fans.

Williamson is not getting too anxious or panicking over a slow start to the season, as told to The Athletic’s Will Guillory.

“It’s a high level of urgency (in the locker room),” Williamson stated. “But not in a panic kind of way. More of a focus and coming together as a team kind of way. I can’t have eight turnovers. That’s just the truth of it…They were in the gaps baiting us to make those passes. (The Warriors) were on top of things. Now it’s about coming together as a team with the game plan and watching film then going from there.”

Of course that answer did not calm the waters. Honestly, it is tough to make excuses for Brandon Ingram (30 points) and Williamson (31 points) after blowing a 20-point lead to a Golden State Warriors squad missing Steph Curry and Andrew Wiggins. The Pelicans wound up losing by 18 points (124-106) in a completely deserved blowout on national television.

Never thought I'd hear this answer…again…from Zion Williamson.

Last season it was "taking a back seat."

Now it's "trying to be too passive."

It's the messaging as much as anything. Same as going to Portland to train, the burst plan, etc…#Pelicanspic.twitter.com/6aVarTZ3gG

— Dodson (@DoingItDodson) October 30, 2024

Williamson admitted there was no energy in the huddle or on the court, which led to sloppy, passive plays.

“I think some of the (turnovers) I was trying to be too passive,” replied Williamson. “I should have just went and some of them they were just being more physical…I felt pretty good. I’ve got to find my rhythm. But once again, there is no excuse for those eight turnovers.”

Rhyme, reason, and rhythm are lacking in New Orleans. Unfortunately, the band will not be back together around Williamson and Ingram very soon. The Pelicans injury report has few silver linings and is coming to represent most of the expected playoff rotations. Considering history and this season’s small sample size, finding a way to not fall too far behind in the Western Conference standings will be tough.

Williamson is expected to lead in these situations after years of watching from the sidelines.

“You practice a certain way all training camp and then lose (Dejounte Murray),” Williamson explained. “But we are NBA players. We have to make that adjustment quick. I don’t think it is a cause for panic. It’s just we need to lock in. It’s 82 games.”

Zion Williamson’s Pelicans fall apart vs. Warriors

The NBA on TNT crew is pulling no punches in their last season together. Shaquille O’Neal was all compliments at the halftime break but wanted to see more. Golden State was going on runs without Steph Curry in the lineup after all. How much credit could the beloved broadcasting crew give after a single half of hoops?

“I like the way Zion is playing,” O’Neal said. “He has a lot of spring, a lot of bounce, and 19 (points) in the first half. Can’t be mad at that…I’ve been waiting for him to do this all the time. Now can he get the same or more in the second half?”

New Orleans fell apart in the second half without Herb Jones. The Pelicans cannot blame the lack of a true point guard for letting a 20-point lead slip away. Williamson and Ingram’s 30-plus point nights had the team ahead by a comfortable margin after all.

Charles Barkley summed the game up best. 

“That was embarrassing by the Pelicans,” Barkley laughed. “I don’t mind teams losing games but to lose that game the way they did with Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum. (The Pelicans) had the most important three players. To have a 20-point lead and then lose by 20, that was embarrassing.”

"That was embarrassing by the Pelicans"

Chuck wasn't impressed by New Orleans losing after having a 20-point lead pic.twitter.com/ZhiOvcjsoG

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) October 30, 2024

The Pelicans get the Warriors again on October 30 in a back-to-back set. Then comes a four-game homestand in front of a New Orleans crowd itching to take out some sporting frustrations. Can Williamson and Ingram treat the Smoothie King Center customers to a good time, or will the Pelicans look more like a ‘trick’ than a true contender?

Answering that with any certainty is impossible without knowing how ‘passive’ Williamson will play.

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