The scoreboard told an embarrassing story, but Zion Williamson was not interested in hiding from it. Jamahl Mosley's misfiring New Orleans Pelicans had just surrendered 145 points to the Brooklyn Nets in a 34-point home loss, completing the worst three-game stretch by point differential in franchise history. A squad that had recently celebrated four consecutive victories was suddenly searching for answers after four straight defeats.
Williamson, however, was the first to face the media, taking responsibility after offering another reminder of why he remains the most valuable building block. There was no attempt to soften the embarrassment either. The 26-year-old two-time All-Star scored a game-high 29 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one block, but individual production meant little after the Pelicans surrendered at least 138 points for the third consecutive game.
Still, the performance provided another encouraging glimpse of why there is still a belief he can live up to the hype. Williamson is stretching the floor from three-point range, locking in defensively to build a legitimate All-Star case, and taking direction from the coaching staff without hesitation. Most importantly, he appears invested in the process, even as the results become increasingly difficult to defend.
“The silver lining I'm hoping we can find is to just remember this feeling,” Williamson told ClutchPoints after the Brooklyn loss. “If you don't like feeling like this after a game, if you don't like going home like this, like, that's what takes me back to you've got to look in the mirror and ask did I do what I need to do for my team? And if you feel like you can't say that, then go what can I change? What can I do better? Go ask the coaches; coaches can ask players, whatever it is, because nobody likes to feel like this. Nobody wants to lose like this. It's unacceptable.”
For a franchise facing uncomfortable questions about its direction, Williamson's response is notable. He is still responding to challenges, and tried to provide a spark after halftime; it just didn't quite work out. As for what he was thinking in going with the Point Zion approach?
“You know, just get good energy. They were trying to load up the paint so for me, attacking the gaps, finding shooters, trying to get some type of movement and some energy going for us, but the result didn't go like that,” Williamson explained. “In the third quarter, defensively we held them to 24 but we only had 15 and in the fourth them having 38 is not going to do us no good. That's just the reality of it.”
The reality is that the Pelicans have once again struggled to establish consistent offense. Mosley's solution increasingly involves allowing Williamson to initiate possessions rather than exclusively positioning him as a finisher. It's an adjustment that has considerable potential. Williamson attacked the paint relentlessly, generating a season-high 14 free throw attempts while trying to force the Nets into difficult defensive decisions.
Article Continues Below“I think (Williamson) has done an excellent job of distributing,” Mosley told ClutchPoints. “You know, obviously there are times that he's going to have the ball. We're running plays for him, and you can find a matchup that works. They usually have size on him. So then pick-and-rolls with a small or him bringing the ball up and initiating our offense is also going to be key. But that's going to be a team job, to be able to find and get ourselves settled.”
When a franchise hits rock bottom in the standings, and players start chirping with fans on social media, the easiest knee-jerk reaction is to blow up the roster and sell low on its biggest star. After the latest loss, Williamson could have pointed toward missing teammates (Trey Murphy III and Yves Missi) or a poor shooting night. Instead, he challenged players and coaches alike to examine their own contributions to the embarrassment.
So, if there is anything worth salvaging from this miserable stretch for ticket-buying fans and the coaching staff, it is the growing evidence that Williamson is still listening, adapting, and accepting the responsibility that comes with being a franchise cornerstone.