“Zion [Williamson] Was Set Up for Failure”: NBA Veteran Dissects Pelicans Star’s Struggles With Bold Claim

The Zion Williamson debate gets a new comment every other day. From the time he was the #1 draft pick in the 2019 draft class, there were some expectations put on him. However, Zion failed to live up to the hype initially and as time went by, he started receiving flak for several things that veterans believe are wrong with his approach.

Although Zion made it into the NBA All-Rookie First Team and was selected in the All-Star lineup twice, that’s as far as his NBA accomplishments go. Recently, NBA veteran Jamal Crawford broke down the reasons why Zion’s career didn’t take off or why it seems that way.

Crawford said, “Zion was set up for failure” even before he stepped into the world of the NBA. As per the 43-year-old, unreal expectations were set on Zion and when he finally made it through the NBA draft as the #1 pick, the burden of those expectations became heavier. This is what has led the youngster to a point where he can’t live up to the hype around his name. Crawford said that Zion is having a good season so far, “but if he didn’t have so much pressure and hype on him, it’d be like oh! Zion is one of the next stars.” But the added pressure on him makes some of his accomplishments seem underwhelming.

However, Crawford said that it wasn’t done to Zion exclusively and there have been other athletes who were subjected to the same process. He said that LeBron James went through a similar process when he was drafted straight out of high school. However, in LeBron’s case, he not only lived up to expectations, he surpassed everything one could have ever dreamed he’d be capable of doing. This is what separates him from Zion.

So it boils down to the mettle of an athlete and whether they are made to endure that level of pressure and scrutiny. Not everyone can be LeBron, but Zion is not even the best version of himself at the moment. The biggest issue with the New Orleans Pelicans star has been his lackluster behavior and lack of professionalism.

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He has received harsh criticism for his weight and lack of discipline from a variety of pundits, fans, and veterans alike; however, he can and ought to change these things for better results. But as we have seen over the years, Zion isn’t really interested in doing all that and is continuing to live his life the way he feels. This season is going well so far for him as he is putting up decent numbers.

Zion is currently averaging 22.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists. He also has 58.2% FG, which is not the best in the league but surely impressive by league standards. Only time will tell if Zion can live up to the lofty expectations placed on him by the NBA world.

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