The most critical factor in how next season plays out for the New Orleans Pelicans is Zion Williamson's health. He's struggled to stay on the floor, and his off-court issues haven't helped his case. It's not ideal that he's entering year seven, and those issues are still a talking point.
Brian Windhorst, Tim Bontemps, and Tim MacMahon discussed goals for every NBA team on the latest episode of "Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective Show." MacMahon said that there is still the question of whether Zion is the player New Orleans wants to build around, to which Windhorst pointed out that "there remains off-court stuff."
At the beginning of June, Joe Dumars stated that Zion would "continue to be a focal point here as we go forward." This came after Zion was accused of rape and domestic violence in a civil lawsuit (subscription required) at the end of May. He denied the allegations in a statement made by his attorneys. Dumars didn't comment specifically on the lawsuit.
Perhaps that is what Windhorst was referring to, but he didn't elaborate on it. Off-court issues can reference a variety of things, and for Zion, that proves true. There may be something happening behind the scenes that fans haven't been made aware of.
Zion Williamson's off-court issues aren't going anywhere
In the past, Zion hasn't taken the necessary steps to care for his body. It got so bad that the Pelicans included stipulations in his current deal regarding weight-in checkpoints and games played. It was done to protect New Orleans, given Zion's injury history.
The Pelicans are in an unusual period where they have young talent, but they also want to make a run in the West. Having a healthy and committed version of Zion will be key to doing so, but as fans know, things can change at a moment's notice. You truly never know with Zion.
Dumars said that there's "responsibility and accountability" that comes with being the face of a franchise, like Zion is. He said he's had talks with the 25-year-old about what things will be like moving forward.
The new lead executive seems confident in the direction New Orleans is headed with Zion, but we're also far past the point where the forward should be reminded to take his job seriously. Maybe he truly has turned the corner. Fans will know for sure in the next couple of months.
If the off-court issues persist, Zion's chapter with the Pelicans could finally come to a close.