The New Orleans Pelicans announced Monday that Zion Williamson would be shut down for the remainder of the season due to a low back contusion he sustained on March 19 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
It's the fourth time since Williamson was drafted that he will have played 30 or fewer games in a season, as injuries have plagued the former No. 1 pick throughout his NBA career.
During Tuesday's episode of First Take, Stephen A. Smith weighed in on the latest season-ending injury sustained by Williamson and criticized him over his lack of availability, going as far as to suggest the 24-year-old was approaching "bust" territory.
"I feel very very bad for the Pelicans and the city of New Orleans," Smith said. "Zion Williamson is a star-caliber talent. When he's on the court and healthy, he's a monster. The problem is he's rarely available. And as great as he is, the word 'bust' comes to mind. Not because of his talent, I'm only talking his availability. If you're not available, it doesn't matter how great you are. And he's almost never available."
"The word 'bust' comes to mind."
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 1, 2025
- Stephen A. Smith on Zion Williamson
(🎥 @FirstTake )
pic.twitter.com/CsI5K6DmHF
Smith went on to say that it would be difficult for the Pelicans to navigate a trade involving Williamson because his lack of availability would deter the interest of other teams.
Williamson played in 30 games this season. When healthy, he was his usual dominant self, averaging 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists. He's now played in more than 60 games in just two of his six NBA seasons. Having made a total of 214 career appearances, Williamson has only been on the court for 45.3% of the Pelicans' games since he was selected with the No. 1 pick in 2019.
In Smith's eyes, Williamson's struggles to remain on the court have resulted in him earning the "bust" label, though he made clear that isn't tied to his performance when healthy.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Stephen A. Smith Laments Having to Label Zion Williamson a 'Bust'.
