Scottie Pippen rips Pelicans’ Zion Williamson’s work ethic with diet concerns

Zion Williamson was drafted first overall in 2019 after a freshman season at Duke in which he was named the national college player of the year. The high-flying forward was one of the most highly touted prospects in recent memory and was supposed to turn the New Orleans Pelicans around.

Instead, he has become a pretty big what-if story. Williams has spent much of his career sidelined because of injuries, and he has often been criticized for how he has navigated a career that hasn’t played out like it was supposed to. Scottie Pippen is the most recent respected voice in the basketball community to question Williamson when it comes to work ethic and dieting.

“This kid is not even on the court; he’s not even working to be a professional basketball player,” Pippen said on the PBDsPodcast. “When you watch him, it is like you’re seeing a kid on a college bench, and [he] still hasn’t found what is going to be fruitful for him in life. Whether it’s his diet, putting the right people around you, getting yourself ready, staying healthy… He hasn’t shown that he’s disciplined enough to take care of himself physically yet.

“He’s not even working to be a professional basketball player… He hasn’t shown that he’s disciplined enough to take care of himself physically yet.”

Thoughts on Scottie Pippen’s comments on Zion Williamson?

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Injury issues are often out of a player’s control, but many, seemingly including Pippen, are of the mindset that Williamson doesn’t put his body in the right position to stay healthy or return to health in a timely and effective fashion when sidelined. Dieting plays a big part in this, and Williamson has often bloomed to unhealthy sizes at points throughout his career.

The former first overall pick is already seven years deep into his NBA career, and basketball fans can’t hold out hope forever that he will reach his potential, which is that of one of the best scorers in the NBA. If Williamson can screw his head on straight and take care of the off-the-court things that he needs to take care of, though, he certainly can still become one of the best players in the NBA.

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