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Zion Williamson is a phenomenal talent, a top 15 or maybe even a top 10 player in the NBA. He led the New Orleans Pelicans to a 23-13 record before Jan. 2, but he hasn’t played since because of injuries. Now the Pelicans are 36-37 and free-falling in the Western Conference.<\/p>\n
FiveThirtyEight<\/a> gives New Orleans — which holds ninth in the West — a 25% chance of making the postseason. Before Williamson’s injury, the Pelicans’ chances were above 90%. Williamson’s absence is the biggest reason for the Pelicans to consider dealing the former No. 1 overall pick.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Part of ability,” the saying goes in sports, “is availability.”<\/p>\n In the past two seasons, though. Williams has played in 29 games. For his career, he has played 114 of 328 possible games (34.7%) with New Orleans. With him playing, per StatMuse<\/a>, the Pelicans are 57-57. Without him, they are 76-109.<\/p>\n Availability and dependability go hand-in-hand. Based on the data, Williamson is not dependable.<\/p>\n While some may argue that it’s too early for New Orleans to ditch Williamson, it may be too late if he has another injury-plagued season like this one. If he has another season without playing at least 40 games, his value on the open market could substantially drop.<\/p>\n Williamson’s downhill and vertical play, combined with his size (6-foot-6, 284 pounds), make him a high risk for injuries. The lower body is not made to support all that constant force and pressure that Williamson puts on it.<\/p>\n This is why trading Williamson may be in\u00a0New Orleans’ best interest.<\/p>\n “Can you trust him to be your franchise guy? No,” former NBA player Kendrick Perkins said<\/a> recently on ESPN’s “First Take.” “You can’t trust that he’s going to be available.” Perkins advocates trading Williamson.<\/p>\n In 39 games this season, Williamson has averaged 26 points, seven rebounds and 4.6 assists and shot \u00a060.8% from the field. His numbers are certainly enough to draw significant interest across the league. But GM David Griffin must act fast.<\/p>\n In 2019, Griffin dealt Anthony Davis, another injury-prone player, to the Lakers for a boatload of assets.\u00a0<\/p>\n Maybe he can do it again… before it’s too late.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n