Blue Devils in the NBA 2024-2025

Maged said:
Just wondering--why do you need imaging to confirm a hamstring strain? Just...wondering.
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When your last one was like this...

Hamstring Strain (January 2023): Zion suffered a hamstring strain that kept him out for several months. He was initially expected to return in 4-6 weeks but experienced setbacks in his recovery.
 
budwom said:
maybe Zion's ultra muscular physiology just can't stand up to the rigors of the NBA...few are built like him.
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That thought has occurred to me but I don’t think he puts in the conditioning. Either way it’s time to move on for the pelicans. A very bitter pill to swallow. I think the team has a good core with BI, Trey Murphy and Dejounte.see what you can get for Zion and add that to the mix.
 
bluedevilwildcats said:
Meh, I'm over Zion, he has had 5 years to show dedication to the craft and has failed. I expect the Pels will try to trade him this season, maybe a fresh start will make a difference although I don't think he's earned the benefit of the doubt.
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weak. worst hot take on this thread. Were you "over" Justise Winslow when he was injured, over and over? Were you "over" Grant Hill when he spent many of his potentially best years injured and unable to play?
Zion hasn't "failed", he's injured. Perhaps a Lebron-level training regimen would have prevented some of his injuries, but then again not many guys have ever put in the work Lebron does.
Maybe they trade him after this season, maybe a fresh start will benefit Zion, but not becasue he's "failed" to live up to your expectations.
 
DukieInBrasil said:
weak. worst hot take on this thread. Were you "over" Justise Winslow when he was injured, over and over? Were you "over" Grant Hill when he spent many of his potentially best years injured and unable to play?
Zion hasn't "failed", he's injured. Perhaps a Lebron-level training regimen would have prevented some of his injuries, but then again not many guys have ever put in the work Lebron does.
Maybe they trade him after this season, maybe a fresh start will benefit Zion, but not becasue he's "failed" to live up to your expectations.
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He has failed to live up to expectations. Grant hill and Justice didn’t have well reported conditioning issues, either. Whatever’s going on is absolutely toxic and I’m sure the pelicans have a role. I’ve never heard or seen a player held out of a season deciding play in game only to do 360 dunks in warm ups and then sit out. Pardon me as a pelicans fan for not writing this squandered potential off as freak injuries.
 
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DukieInBrasil said:
weak. worst hot take on this thread. Were you "over" Justise Winslow when he was injured, over and over? Were you "over" Grant Hill when he spent many of his potentially best years injured and unable to play?
Zion hasn't "failed", he's injured. Perhaps a Lebron-level training regimen would have prevented some of his injuries, but then again not many guys have ever put in the work Lebron does.
Maybe they trade him after this season, maybe a fresh start will benefit Zion, but not becasue he's "failed" to live up to your expectations.
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Have you followed Zion on- and off- the court in the past 5 years? If you're comparing him to Grant Hill, that's officially the new worst take in this thread, thanks for getting me of that hot seat.
 
No one in the history of hoops has played with such skill, physique and strength. A unique physical specimen. I am not going to blame him for recurring injuries -- maybe the design needs some revisions. And I am not pleased with some of the posts in this thread. I mean, guys.... a little charity for a Blue Devil, please.
 
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bluedevilwildcats said:
Have you followed Zion on- and off- the court in the past 5 years? If you're comparing him to Grant Hill, that's officially the new worst take in this thread, thanks for getting me of that hot seat.
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not comparing him to Hill as a player. Comparing you being "over" a player because of injuries, or labeling him as a failure, a Blue Devil no less. Thanks for putting yourself back on that seat.
 
DukieInBrasil said:
not comparing him to Hill as a player. Comparing you being "over" a player because of injuries, or labeling him as a failure, a Blue Devil no less. Thanks for putting yourself back on that seat.
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Saying that he has not lived up to expectations, for whatever reason, is not the same as saying that he’s a “failure.” I think the expectations were that he would actually play a full season. As a pelicans fan I’m angry and I blame the team for a lot of it. Objectively as a Duke fan it’s a shame we haven’t been able to see what he’s truly capable of.
 
DukieInBrasil said:
not comparing him to Hill as a player. Comparing you being "over" a player because of injuries, or labeling him as a failure, a Blue Devil no less. Thanks for putting yourself back on that seat.
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I'm not criticizing Zion because he's been injured.

Maybe you don't follow him much, he has established a reputation for lack of effort, poor leadership, questionable off-court behavior, not taking his conditioning seriously, and eating a trash diet. All of those put together have contributed to his inability to stay on the court.

Here are a small handful of examples:
  • Following a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023, analysts Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley criticized Williamson for appearing out of shape and not exerting full effort on the court. They emphasized the importance of conditioning for sustained performance.
  • In December 2023 reports emerged that the Pelicans had "repeatedly stressed" to Williamson the need to improve his diet and conditioning. However, it was noted that he "doesn't listen," leading to frustration within the organization.
  • In August 2024 ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith revealed that Williamson had struggled with dietary discipline, alleging that he was "hiding food under his bed" to circumvent team-imposed dietary guidelines. Smith expressed shock at Williamson's subsequent body transformation, highlighting past challenges with weight management.
  • In an appearance on the "Gil's Arena" podcast, Williamson acknowledged the difficulties of maintaining a proper diet, stating, "It's hard, man... I'm 20, 22, have all the money in the world... It's hard." He admitted to needing more discipline in his eating habits.
  • During the 2022-2023 season, Williamson's prolonged absence due to a hamstring injury led to frustration among teammates and fans. His delayed return and limited communication about his recovery process raised questions about his leadership and commitment to the team's success.
  • In 2023, Williamson was involved in personal controversies that attracted public scrutiny, including cheating on his pregnant girlfriend with a stripper. These incidents reportedly caused concern within the Pelicans organization and were viewed as distractions that could impact team cohesion and focus.
  • “There’s no reason he cannot have a full-time chef. There is no reason Zion Williamson’s conditioning is not better than what it is,” Sharpe said on a 2020 episode of “Undisputed” on FS1. In December 2023, Sharpe also spoke about Zion Williamson on his “Nightcap” podcast with Chad “Ochocinco." “He can’t overcome a bad diet. He can’t,” Sharpe told Ochocinco about Williamson, adding, “His stomach and his a– going in two different directions. One’s going that way, the other going that way. Now you guess which one is which. If he loves the game of basketball, he would get his weight under control. He would take training serious.”
I'm probably more down on Zion than any other Duke player simply because he wasted so much talent and the chance to have a Hall of Fame career. And he did it with more than just lack of discipline but from what I can tell, a pretty crap attitude much of the time. And that's something I never would have believed based on his time at Duke.
 
sagegrouse said:
No one in the history of hoops has played with such skill, physique and strength. A unique physical specimen. I am not going to blame him for recurring injuries -- maybe the design needs some revisions. And I am not pleased with some of the posts in this thread. I mean, guys.... a little charity for a Blue Devil, please.
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I think this board has given Zion more than a little charity.

I hold Duke players to a higher standard. It's a standard Zion hasn't come close to living up to IMO. I don't follow the Pels that closely but I'd be surprised if there are many players less popular than Zion in that locker room. Who of us would have thought that after watching the sheer joy that emanated from Zion at Duke.
 
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It's heartbreaking to see Zion injured - yet again. I'll always root for him, but it's impossible for me to turn a blind eye to his perpetual injury status. If I were the Pelicans, I'd seriously consider trying to trade him (if I could get a decent return on my investment - might be hard at this point).

A change of scenery might be what Zion needs as well. Some destinations in our life are meant to be pitstops, not homes. Perhaps that's the case with Williamson right now.
 
Alan_Wilson said:
Saying that he has not lived up to expectations, for whatever reason, is not the same as saying that he’s a “failure.” I think the expectations were that he would actually play a full season. As a pelicans fan I’m angry and I blame the team for a lot of it. Objectively as a Duke fan it’s a shame we haven’t been able to see what he’s truly capable of.
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the original post said that he failed. I'm not the one drawing a comparison between expectations and failure. That's b.d.wildcats
 
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