{"id":26529,"date":"2023-04-13T18:22:03","date_gmt":"2023-04-13T18:22:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/13\/stephen-a-smith-puts-zion-williamson-on-notice-says-hes-raising-suspicions-with-his-comments-about-absence\/"},"modified":"2023-04-13T18:22:03","modified_gmt":"2023-04-13T18:22:03","slug":"stephen-a-smith-puts-zion-williamson-on-notice-says-hes-raising-suspicions-with-his-comments-about-absence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/13\/stephen-a-smith-puts-zion-williamson-on-notice-says-hes-raising-suspicions-with-his-comments-about-absence\/","title":{"rendered":"Stephen A. Smith puts Zion Williamson on notice, says he&#8217;s &#8216;raising suspicions&#8217; with his comments about absence"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<div id=\"article-content\" class=\"keeda_widget\" data-postid=\"3922483\" data-slug-id=\"1469537\">\n<p>Zion Williamson was on the sidelines once again watching his New Orleans Pelicans teammates battle in the play-in tournament. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cZanos\u201d sat out last season after fracturing his right foot in training camp. This year, Williamson suffered a hamstring injury and played in just 22 games. He shut down any hopes of a return when he told reporters he\u2019s not playing as he\u2019s not feeling like \u201cZion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ahead of the Pelicans&#8217; game against the OKC Thunder, Stephen A. Smith said Williamson had to find a way to get back on the court.<\/p>\n<p><template id=\"bets-today-poll\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"preview-card-holder bets-today-poll\">\n<p><span class=\"date\"\/> \u2022 <span class=\"time\"\/><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThis guy [Williamson] is a fantastic talent. \u2026 If he were in the lineup, we\u2019d be speaking significantly more about New Orleans and what kind of noise they can make in the Western Conference.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cHe\u2019s missed 169 games in his career and hasn\u2019t played in 40% of his games. You can\u2019t make a statement like, \u2018When I feel like a Zion.\u2019 \u2026 He\u2019s gotta find a way to get back on the court. Period. Because it\u2019s starting to look very bad and it\u2019s raising suspicions everywhere.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"sportskeeda-embed hidden-lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/basketball\/twitter\">\n<div class=\"tweet-outer-container\" style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"tweet-container\">\n<div class=\"tweet-body\">.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/stephenasmith\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"stephenasmith\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">@stephenasmith<\/a> reacts to Zion Williamson&#8217;s recent comments on when he will return:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This guy is a fantastic talent. &#8230; He&#8217;s gotta find a way to get back on the court. Period. Because it&#8217;s starting to look very bad and it&#8217;s raising suspicions everywhere.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote class=\"app-tweet-blockquote\"><p>.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/stephenasmith\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"stephenasmith\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">@stephenasmith<\/a> reacts to Zion Williamson&#8217;s recent comments on when he will return:&#8221;This guy is a fantastic talent. &#8230; He&#8217;s gotta find a way to get back on the court. Period. Because it&#8217;s starting to look very bad and it&#8217;s raising suspicions everywhere.&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/MlgTZMCYsp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/MlgTZMCYsp<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Pelicans were positive that Zion Williamson would return at some point in the season after injuring his hamstring on Jan. 2 against the Philadelphia 76ers. Three weeks later, the team told reporters that Williamson was steadily progressing but didn\u2019t give a timeline for his return.<\/p>\n<p>On April 7, heading into the game against the New York Knicks, New Orleans Pelicans GM David Griffin informed the media of Williamson\u2019s status:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cBased on today, our best possible outcome would be if everything lined up perfectly, maybe you\u2019re in a position to practice prior to a first round. Or maybe during a first round.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cBut it\u2019s going to take more than one, right? It\u2019s really hard. We may never get to that point either. If it\u2019s not a situation where those things align and he feels the way he needs to feel, we\u2019re not going to let him go to the next phase.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Any flickering hopes of seeing Zion Williamson in the play-in tournament were put out by his statement.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cPhysically, I\u2019m fine. Now it\u2019s just a matter of when I feel like Zion,&#8221; he said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cI can pretty much do everything, but it\u2019s just a matter of the level that I was playing at before my hamstring. I don\u2019t want to go out there and be in my own head and affect the team when I can just be on the sideline supporting them more, because I know myself. If I was to go out there, I would be in my head. I would hesitate on certain moves and it could affect the game.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"sportskeeda-embed hidden-lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/basketball\/twitter\">\n<div class=\"tweet-outer-container\" style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"tweet-container\">\n<div class=\"tweet-body\">&#8220;Physically, I&#8217;m fine. Now it&#8217;s just a matter of when I feel like Zion.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>New Orleans Pelicans star power forward Zion Williamson shared the mental toll that his hamstring injury has taken on him.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/V0yDOWG0VE\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"tweet-url\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">bit.ly\/3GC9Umy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote class=\"app-tweet-blockquote\"><p>&#8220;Physically, I&#8217;m fine. Now it&#8217;s just a matter of when I feel like Zion.&#8221;New Orleans Pelicans star power forward Zion Williamson shared the mental toll that his hamstring injury has taken on him.<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/V0yDOWG0VE\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"tweet-url\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">bit.ly\/3GC9Umy<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/LZm0DFGhJ2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/LZm0DFGhJ2<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<hr\/>\n<h2>Zion Williamson\u2019s 5-year contract will kick in next season<\/h2>\n<p>On July 6, 2022, Zion Williamson signed a five-year $194.3 million designated rookie contract extension. It will start at the beginning of next season. The deal could reach as high as $231 million if he earns an All-NBA selection, which may not happen this season as he has played just 29 games.<\/p>\n<p>When Williamson has been available, he\u2019s easily been one of the NBA\u2019s most unstoppable players. He just hasn&#8217;t been healthy long enough to contribute when it matters for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/basketball\/new-orleans-pelicans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">New Orleans Pelicans<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/basketball\/news-you-better-lebron-type-body-fat-nba-analyst-says-pelicans-want-zion-williamson-leanest-280-pound-man-we-ve-ever-seen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\">The highly-discussed weight clause<\/a> in Zion Williamson\u2019s extension will not affect him unless he is unimaginably waived by the Pelicans. If the basketball star and the team that drafted him eventually separate, then that means several things have gone wrong.<\/p>\n<p>New Orleans has been incredibly competitive even without the two-time All-Star. They will, however, remain fringe contenders if Zion Williamson continues to be saddled with injuries.<\/p>\n<div id=\"tag-cloud\">\n<div class=\"tags-text\">\n<div class=\"scrollable-content-holder  article-padding\">\n<p class=\"article-p  \">Quick Links<\/p>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerLeft\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Left \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"background: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-left.svg\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button><\/p>\n<nav id=\"pnProductNav\" class=\"pn-ProductNav\">\n<\/nav>\n<p><button id=\"pnAdvancerRight\" class=\"pn-Advancer pn-Advancer_Right \" type=\"button\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"background: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/skm\/assets\/article\/article-scroll-right.svg\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<p>More from Sportskeeda<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin: 8px 21px 0; overflow: visible !important;\">\n<div class=\"bottom-info-container\">\n<span class=\"publisher-name\">Edited by Michael Macasero<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><template id=\"reply-input-template\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"reply-section-container\" parent-comment-id=\"\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"pic-near-reply-box\" src=\"\" alt=\"Profile picture\" width=\"32\" height=\"32\"\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><br \/>\n<template id=\"gif-box-template\"><\/p>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><template id=\"reply-input-template\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"reply-section-container\" parent-comment-id=\"\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"pic-near-reply-box\" src=\"\" alt=\"Profile picture\" width=\"32\" height=\"32\"\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><br \/>\n<template id=\"gif-box-template\"><\/p>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><script> \nvar fbPixelFired = false;\ndocument.addEventListener(\"scroll\", function() { loadFBPixel() });\ndocument.addEventListener(\"mousemove\", function() { loadFBPixel() });\nfunction loadFBPixel() {\nif(fbPixelFired) {\nreturn;\n}\nfbPixelFired = true;\n!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? \nn.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;\nn.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\nt.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, \ndocument,'script','https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\nfbq('init', '952063904834769'); \nfbq('track', \"PageView\");\nfbq('track', 'ViewContent');\n}\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/basketball\/news-stephen-a-smith-puts-zion-williamson-notice-says-raising-suspicions-absence-comments\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Zion Williamson was on the sidelines once again watching his New Orleans Pelicans teammates battle in the play-in tournament. \u201cZanos\u201d sat out last season after fracturing his right foot in training camp. This year, Williamson suffered a hamstring injury and played in just 22 games. He shut down any hopes of a return when he [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26530,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6806],"tags":[2313,2314,2317,9941,11261,4201,88,8416],"class_list":{"0":"post-26529","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gossip","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-nba","10":"tag-nba-players","11":"tag-nba-social","12":"tag-nba-western-conference","13":"tag-new-orleans-pelicans","14":"tag-news","15":"tag-zion-williamson"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26529"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26529\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}