There But for the Grace of God

If things had gone differently, the Bulls might have drafted power forward Zion Williamson. But luck was with them, and Williamson went to New Orleans in 2019. In his first two seasons, Williamson suffered knee and thumb injuries that took him out of the Pelicans’ lineup for some to much time, and that was before he broke his right foot this summer. He was ramping up for his season debut only to feel soreness in the foot. Now comes news Williamson received a “biologic injection” in the fracture area that will, fingers crossed, promote healing. Then it’s four to six weeks of wait-and-see, which is not the same as four to six weeks until he can play. I must be the only person in the world who looked at Williamson and saw all sorts of problems where everyone saw a ton of talent, if you’ll pardon the pun. I see that he’s no longer listed at 6’7”. An inch shorter matters because he’s carrying at least 284 pounds on an even smaller frame. Read about the 21-year old, and you read about conditioning issues. Those I knew about, but not Williamson’s rumored frustration with the state of the team around him. I’m guessing management is pretty frustrated, too. I think college athletes in basketball and football are best served staying in school a minimum of three years; this way their bodies and skills have a chance to grow under controlled circumstances. (Drafting high school baseball players makes no sense to me whatsoever.) I read where the Pelicans’ front office has complained to the NBA about the beating their star player has taken since he’s stepped onto the pro court. And they thought he could avoid that why, exactly? The best the NBA can do is its one-and-done rule. I doubt anything else would survive a court challenge, and I’m surprised one-and-done has lasted this long. To paraphrase my father, people six times three (as in years) are adults and can do what they will. But it comes with consequences.