Zion Williamson and the Pelicans appear to be at a crossroads.
Williamson played in just 29 games this season after missing all of last year, as questions have lingered about if he’s doing everything possible with his conditioning to stay on the court.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Pelicans vice president of basketball operations David Griffin did not have a specific answer when asked what would need to happen for Williamson to be available more frequently, but he did put some of the onus on the former No. 1 overall pick.
“I wish I could immediately pinpoint the answer. I think a big part is on him,” Griffin said, according to ESPN.
“I think there is a lot he can do better. And he would, I think, tell you that. I think we need to do a better job examining the whole situation top to bottom a little bit better.
“I think putting him in the best position to succeed is important. And I think his participation is a big part of that.”
Earlier this week, Williamson, 22, made the bizarre decision to throw down authoritative dunks in warmups before the Pelicans lost to the Thunder in the NBA play-in tournament, and after raising eyebrows when he said that he was physically fine.
Griffin said that this situation wasn’t indicative of the idea that Williamson could have been cleared to play by now.
“He came up here the other day and said ‘physically, I’m fine.’ ‘Physically I’m fine’ means ‘I’m not currently injured,’” Griffin said.
“He wasn’t physically cleared to play basketball. He was playing one-on-none. He went up and windmill-dunked pregame.
“That’s not the skill set that makes you capable of playing 5-on-5 basketball. So for people to now say, ‘He chose not to play basketball,’ that’s nonsense. That’s not factual. But that’s a way more interesting story than he chose not to play basketball. That’s the truth.”
The Pelicans lost both of their games in the play-in tournament and were officially eliminated from the postseason with a 123-118 loss to the Thunder on Wednesday night that would have earned them the No. 8 seed.
Williamson averaged 27.0 points and seven rebounds this season.
Speaking on ESPN earlier this week, Stephen A. Smith called on Williamson to take it upon himself to be on the court more often going forward.
“He’s gotta find a way to get back on the court. Period,” Smith said. “Because it’s starting to look very bad and it’s raising suspicions everywhere.”
While it may be an oxymoron, happy Monday nonetheless.
We went a perfect 4-for-4 in last Monday’s NBA PrizePicks entry and will look to do the same this evening.
There are six games on the schedule and plenty of injuries that could change the available markets.
Keep in mind that the numbers constantly change throughout the day.
After thoroughly scanning the PrizePicks lobby, I have selected my four favorite picks for Monday night’s slate.
NBA PrizePicks predictions and picks Monday
Damian Lillard more than 35.5 points
If you haven’t noticed, Lillard is the hottest player in the NBA right now.
Instead of having ‘Dame Time’ in the fourth quarter of games, it’s been ‘Dame Time’ for weeks.
Over his last eight games, he has averaged 41.4 points per contest.
With Jusuf Nurkic (out), Anfernee Simons (out), and Josh Hart (traded) off the floor this season, Lillard has averaged 43.9 points per 36 minutes.
Given the tight spread of tonight’s game, he should see 36-to-38 minutes against the Pistons, who are 28th in defensive efficiency against point guards this season.
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Instant Deposit Match up to $100 on First Deposit with code NYPBONUS
Must be at least 18 years of age and within applicable state (AL, AK, AR, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, ME, MA, MI, MN, MS, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WI, WY). Full terms and conditions apply.
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Bam Adebayo more than 8.5 rebounds
This selection is more based on matchup than anything else, but even at face value, this one stands out when you compare his prop to his season-long averages.
Adebayo has averaged 9.7 rebounds per game this season, well above the 8.5 mark we are looking for tonight.
Centers have had great success against the Hawks this season, especially on the glass.
Atlanta is a below-average rebounding team (18th) and their two centers (Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu) rarely leave the paint.
In three meetings against the Hawks so far this season, Adebayo has averaged 10.7 rebounds per game.
Domantas Sabonis less than 7.5 assists
Let’s keep this one simple – Sabonis has averaged 6.9 assists per game on the season and draws a below-average matchup against the Pelicans, who are ranked 15th in pace and ninth in defensive rating.
Sabonis has recorded fewer than 7.5 assists in 13 of his last 17 games.
There is a chance De’Aaron Fox (questionable) sits tonight, but Sabonis only averages 0.54 more assists per 36 minutes with Fox off the floor.
The less-than on this specific prop has been hitting at a very high clip, so there’s no need to rock the boat with this one.
Betting on the NBA?
CJ McCollum more than 26.5 points + rebounds
On the season, McCollum has averaged 21.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
That’s slightly less than the total we are looking for tonight, but it doesn’t tell the entire story.
The Pelicans are currently without Zion Williamson, Josh Richardson, Jose Alvarado, and Larry Nance.
There’s also a decent chance Jonas Valanciunas (questionable) will be forced to miss another game.
With all of the injuries, McCollum has been playing big minutes and soaking up a ton of usage.
He may have to help out a bit more on the glass tonight.
The icing on the cake is a matchup against the Kings, ranked ninth in pace and 25th in defensive rating this season.
You can follow Justin Carlucci on Twitter@ThejCarlucci
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