Pelicans encouraged by Sion Williamson’s response to public scolding

Being publicly called out is one of the worst situations for any professional. Everyone is looking at you for the wrong reasons, and the ridicule is taken to a different level. These curses take different forms, but the message was clear afterwards The New Orleans Pelicans have solved some issues with Zion Williamson. The standard was not met and there were consequences. However, the Pelicans sound encouraged by Williamson’s response to the one-game timeout.

Williamson was a scratch in the home team’s Jan. 15 119-116 win over the Dallas Mavericks. It was the second night of a back-to-back set, so Willie Green again had to get creative with rotations. Luckily, Trey Murphy III saved the day, and Williamson was on the bench cheering after every play. It’s a welcome sight after previously missing the Smoothie King Center game due to what the team called “doctor’s orders.”

It was the wrong message to send to the locker room and the team’s fans. It seemed to be another step in enabling bad habits stemming from previous behaviors. Head office finally took action to nip the missing approach in the bud. Apparently, Williamson knew that suspension was appropriate.

“This is my job.” They held me responsible. All I can do is get better,” Williamson said. “There are consequences for actions and that was my consequence.”

As for where Williamson can improve moving forward?

“You do a lot of things on the court, off the court and even when nobody’s looking,” Williamson said. “Just keep growing as a leader out there and just, on the court, off the court, that’s all I can do.”

Veterans like CJ McCollum you want to see more consistency before the suspension is called successful.

“I think he’s going in the right direction,” McCollum said. “I think it’s just about asserting yourself and applying yourself every day. We know what needs to be done day in and day out to be successful. We know what winning habits look like and what kinds of habits aren’t necessarily built for success.”

The Pelicans need Zion Williamson to really play

Willie Green he knows that the team is better when Williamson is on the court though.

“(Williamson) is amazing. “Once he hits the floor, everything gets better,” Green said in Chicago. “You can feel his energy. You can feel its gravity. In 23 minutes, 21 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, that’s incredible. It’s great to have him on the floor with our guys.”

Herb Jones (shoulder) will be out for a while. Brandon Ingram (ankle) could return relatively soon. Williamson (load management) will be good, but the Pelicans are starting to win now that most of the team is healthy. The 24-year-old is playing a big role with some All-Star performances that remind fans of what could have been.

Williamson was 10-of-14 from the field and looked unstoppable paired with Murphy III (32 points) in a road win over the Chicago Bulls (119-113).

“You see the defense try to guard you, and most times they’ll send a double team and try to load the paint, and I trust my shooters,” Williamson said. “I was able to find them a lot (against the Bulls) and they knocked down shots.

The duo wasn’t quite as lethal in a one-point loss away to the defending champion Boston Celtics (120-119), but there were plenty of encouraging moments. On and off the field. After the initial flurry of reports about Zion Williamson missing flights and other team events, the Pelicans appeared to be on the same page.

It’s the kind of radio silence that can’t be ignored. Forget the trade rumors after this answer. New Orleans is betting on Williamson to maintain a certain level of professionalism moving forward. Now Willie Green’s Pelicans can focus on another big chance to get back into the NBA Play-In conversation. Fans might grumble about it The Pelicans lose Cooper Flagg but building a winning culture around Williamson and Murphy III is more important.