Zion Williamson Is Finally Healthy But Still Showing Mental Weakness By Admitting How Difficult It Is To 'Buy In' To Pelicans

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Entering year four of his NBA career, questions about Zion Williamson's fitness, diet, and overall health are as quiet as they've ever been. While that's not saying a lot about a player who has only played in 114 games in three seasons, there was optimism that the 2023-24 campaign was finally going to be the season of a consistent and committed Williamson.

So far, not so good.

While Williamson has started in eight of New Orleans' 10 games this season and averaged nearly 22 points a night, the Pelicans have lost five straight games. While most would agree the 72-game schedule ahead serves as plenty of time for the Pels and Williamson to figure things out, the former Duke star appears to be on the verge of spiraling.

After scoring 18 points in 27 minutes of action in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, Williamson was asked about adapting to the team's new offensive system. While the question was entirely fundamental and normal, Williamson's answer caused the alarm of every Pelicans fan to ring, and ring loudly.

"Right now, it's tough. I'm taking a little bit of a back seat right now. I'm trusting the process. I'm trying my best to buy in right now," Williamson said while displaying not-so-great body language.

In Williamson's defense, he's played for three different head coaches in his four seasons in the NBA and Willie Green is trying to install a faster-paced offense this season. While a super-fast system wouldn't be Zion's first choice of offenses to run, the fact that he's admitting to finding it difficult to even buy-in should send shivers down the spine of both Pelicans fans and the team's front office.

Zion Williamson Owes The Pelicans Plenty

Williamson is a former first-overall pick and continues to be the face of the franchise despite his incredibly limited career thus far. His buying in and committing to the grind of a new system in hopes of coming out the other side successfully should be the easiest thing Williamson does all season long.

Williamson openly admitting that he's questioning the process 10 games into an 82-game season may prove to be worse than any diet and health issues he faces down the road. It's clear that mentally, Williamson is not anywhere close to being fully checked in.

A winning streak cures all, but with the Pelicans doing battle night after night in an absolutely loaded Western Conference stringing wins together is far from easy.

The Pelicans showed their faith in Williamson when many were casting doubt by awarding him with a five-year, $197 million contract in the summer of 2022. He owes the franchise and that fanbase buying into the culture, even if it proves to be the wrong one.

Follow Mark Harris on X @ItIsMarkHarris and email him at mark.harris@outkick.com

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.