If you watched any New Orleans Pelicans’ games this season then you know Zion Williamson didn’t always get much love from the referees.
Zion, like Shaquille O’Neal before him, is very difficult to officiate, as he draws a ton of contact but is so strong that he often goes right through it.
Refs are reluctant to call fouls in the paint when the guy scores anyway, so teams were allowed to hack Zion Williamson all season, often with impunity.
David Griffin finally spoke up, though it was probably too late and some accused him of being “soft” for defending his player.
I thought Griffin was right to speak up, but just wish he would have done so earlier in the season so that it might have mattered.
Zion Williamson didn’t always get the calls, but he was still 3rd overall in free throw attempts per game behind Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
This is why I think Zion Williamson will lead the league in free throw attempts next season, which will be just his third in the league.
The referees are now on notice about Zion Williamson
Zion Williamson is going to be the face of the NBA and I am sure the league would have preferred that he finish out the season and at least have a shot at the play-in tournament.
Instead, he was out with a broken pinkie that many blamed on the way he was officiated all season.
If you don’t think the NBA will address this in the offseason, you are nuts, as they have too much invested in Zion to have him injured in ways that are preventable.
I guarantee the refs are going to hear about it and that they will make some adjustments that come directly from the league.
Zion Williamson is now a superstar
Guys like James Harden and LeBron James seem to always get the calls but they have earned that right after being long-time superstars in the league.
This might not be fair, but we all know it is true. We also know that veteran players get away with a lot more when it comes to complaining to the refs, so guys like LeBron are allowed to plead their cases without getting technical fouls. This is what comes with superstardom.
Zion is not there yet but he will be soon and the refs will start to adjust, give him more calls and allow him to talk a bit more without getting T’d up.
Zion Williamson was already 3rd in the league in free throw attempts while not getting calls most of the time and not getting the superstar treatment from the refs.
That is all going to change next season, which is why Zion Williamson is going to lead the league in free-throw attempts, which will help him to score more than 30 points per game and be a frontrunner for MVP. You can book it now.