The New Orleans Pelicans have the third-worst record in the Western Conference. It has been a season filled with disappointment and injuries, just as last year was. Zion Williamson has once again failed to stay healthy early in the year.
So far this season, Williamson has played just 14 games. He’s playing the worst basketball of his career, as his stats are career lows across the board. In the last two games, he has come off the bench. In each of those two games, he was the leading scorer for New Orleans.
The Pelicans have won five straight games after starting out 3-22. Head coach James Borrego was asked about the strategy behind bringing Williamson off the bench. His answer was a bit head-scratching.
GettyNew Orleans Pelicans head coach James Borrego gestures. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
James Borrego Talks Bringing Zion Williamson Off the Bench
Borrego claimed that it is a numbers game and that bringing him off the bench helps him play more minutes.
“The goal was just to maximize his minutes. And as I’ve said, it’s a math game, and utilizing his full amount of gold coins out there. That’s the goal.”
Borrego seems to believe that bringing him off the bench will allow him to play more minutes, which gives him more opportunities to affect the game. Borrego did give Williamson a lot of credit for his response to the changes in the lineup.
“The thing is, though, he deserves credit on it. That’s the biggest thing, more than anything. I knew that he was going to respond well, but for him to approach it this way, in the mature team-first mentality, he deserves credit for that.”
Williamson has certainly responded, scoring 53 points combined in those two games. It’s unclear how long this experiment will last, but the Pelicans are playing much better with this situation unfolding the way that it is.
GettyNew Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson walks on the court. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
The Pelicans Could Still Trade Zion Williamson
There is still a chance that the Pelicans decide to trade Williamson. His trade value continues to get lower every year because of his lack of availability. His contract is attractive to other teams because parts of it are voided if he can’t play a certain number of games.
It’s unclear if the Pelicans are willing to trade away their franchise player, even if he hasn’t played up to their standards. If they can get some first-round picks and young players in return for him, it’s a move they would have to highly consider making.
Williamson has the lowest offensive rating of his career to this point in the season. That is a big reason why New Orleans would be willing to part ways with him. If they do trade him, that would signal an acknowledgement that they are set up for another massive rebuild.
The Pelicans still have a couple of months to survey offers around the league before making that choice.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Pelicans Give Strange Reason Why They Brought Zion Williamson Off the Bench appeared first on Heavy Sports.