Editorial

Mike Krzyzewski Believes Zion Williamson Should Have Skipped Summer League

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Duke men’s basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski offered his view on the Zion Williamson situation after multiple analysts and New Orleans Pelicans fans noticed the No. 1 pick looked a little heavier.

Williamson was ruled out for the remainder of summer league for precautionary reasons after suffering a minor knee injury in an opening game against the Knicks. Krzyzewski believes that Williamson was not yet in “playing shape” during the beginning of summer league.

Here are Coach K’s comments:

“I thought really he never should’ve played just because he’s been on this circuit of awards, the ESPYs, everything,” Krzyzewski told Forbes. 

“I don’t think he’s in the playing shape or the mental shape to play.”

The comments come as a bit of a surprise as the future hall-of-fame head coach has had glowing recommendations regarding Zion’s future. (RELATED: Coach K Says Zion Williamson Wants To Play After Injury)

College basketball analyst Seth Greenberg added to the coach’s comments by going as far to say that Zion is “significantly overweight” heading into the remainder of the offseason.

No matter how you shape it, there seems to be a reasonable cause for concern for the New Orleans Pelicans regarding the playing weight of the team’s young star.

Head coach Alvin Gentry will be tasked with figuring out the proper weight Zion needs to hit entering the season to remain healthy for 82 games.

Williamson is one of the most skilled and athletic basketball players drafted since LeBron James. With that kind of ceiling surrounding Zion’s name, this early uncertainty and caution is not the most optimistic thing in the world for a city who just lost Anthony Davis.

NBA analysts are understandably divided on the Pelicans’ next move with the rookie because you rarely see a player this size with this much athletic ability.

The Pelicans certainly made the right decision having Zion sit out the rest of the meaningless summer league, but this topic will remain hovering over the former Duke star until the opening game of the regular season.