It was another stinker season for Zion Williamson’s New Orleans Pelicans, who finished a whopping 30 games below .500.
So Williamson wants things to change, and he wants to start by shifting his own approach.
For years, Williamson has been a magnet to criticism. Many have often highlighted his weight and conditioning in a negative light. Others have complained about him not showing more focus and having the drive to improve.
Williamson, 25, has been the classic “if healthy” example of the last several years. Drafted No. 1 overall in 2019, the powerful 6’6” forward was touted as a generational talent and a player who would instantly flip the Pelicans’ fortunates. In the seven years since, a mix of injuries and alleged weight and conditioning issues have seemingly prevented Williamson from blossoming into a superstar.
Williamson just put together his healthiest season in years — he played 61 games, the second-most games of his career — but it may not mean much anymore because New Orleans remains an immensely struggling franchise, winning just 26 games in the 2025-26 campaign.
But Williamson perhaps still believes a turnaround is possible.
Zion Williamson Announces Major Change He Wants to Make
When available to play, Williamson has rarely disappointed. Even as many have criticized his conditioning over the years, Williamson never appeared to lack any explosiveness on the court.
This season, the 25-year-old New Orleans star averaged 21 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game on 60% shooting overall in the third-fewest minutes per game of his career.
Statistically, he’s had better seasons; he averaged 27 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in his second year, when it felt like he had already arrived as a superstar.
Ever since, it has been a mish-mash of durability struggles and the team failing to build a contender. By now, it sure feels like either Williamson should’ve long been in another uniform or New Orleans should’ve risen as a legitimate Western Conference threat. Neither has happened.
So Williamson wants to change some things, starting with having “a different summer.”
“My play on the court — it was OK,” Williamson said during his season exit interview. “I was efficient, but I don’t want to sit here and say it was OK and we’re not even in the Western Conference play-in tournament.
“Individually, I have a lot to go work on. I want to be able to attack from multiple areas on the court. I want to be able to be unpredictable on the offensive end, and I didn’t really do a good job of that this year. … I want to be able to do more for my team.”
Is it Time for Both Sides to Part Ways?
Let’s go ahead and ask this for the 1,456th time. Why not.
Clearly, the Williamson-New Orleans era has been a grave disappointment. Both sides can take a share of the blame. There is plenty to go around anyway.
Williamson was brought in to be the face of the franchise and the central component of a future contender. In seven years, the Pelicans haven’t gotten anywhere close to competing for championships; in fact, they’ve degenerated into a 20-something win group.
Whether it has been Williamson’s inability to stay on the court or the front office’s inept in building out the roster, the fact of the matter is this doesn’t appear to be headed anywhere positive.
Williamson has been the subject of splashy summer trades for a while, but New Orleans has remained committed to keeping him. That could change this summer, or the Pelicans may give it one more season or even up until the trade deadline in February.
Williamson is still just 25 and has time to change the trajectory of his career. It’ll be hard to convince most that a shift will happen if he stays in New Orleans.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Zion Williamson Announces Eye-Catching Career Decision After Tough Season appeared first on Heavy Sports.