Charles Barkley believes the New Orleans Pelicans are a “scary” prospect this season but that their success hinges on Zion Williamson and, specifically, whether he gets in shape.
Speaking at halftime of New Orleans’ NBA in-season tournament game against Sacramento, a brutally honest Barkley delivered a few home truths for the Pelicans superstar.
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“He’s not in shape. He doesn’t run, he plays the game strictly on talent,” Barkley said on TNT’s Inside the NBA.
“He never runs on a fastbreak. He’s kind of like jogging on offence and defence. Somebody has got to get a hold of him because he’s got so much talent… he could be special.
“I don’t know if he has a Moses Malone who told me I was fat and lazy. He owns that organisation already, but if he could get in shape, this team, you would not want to play this team because those others are really good.
“But it’s going to come down to Zion. He needs to get in shape.”
New Orleans went into halftime with a 69-61 lead despite only getting two points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal from Williamson.
Brandon Ingram (30 points) and Herb Jones (23) led the Pelicans scorers, with Williamson ending the game on 10 points to go with six rebounds, six assists and three steals.
For the most part though Williamson had been delivering in the past month, scoring 20 or more points in seven of his past 10 games.
“Zion is the wildcard,” Barkley added.
“They got depth, they got two All-Stars named Ingram and McCollum. I’ve said before, this team is scary on paper but it’s all going to come down to Zion. He’s got to get himself in better shape because McCollum and Ingram, man they’re a handful.”
It is not the first time Barkley, leaning on personal experience from his playing career, has warned the two-time All-Star of the need to get in better shape.
Even before this season tipped off Barkley said it was “not fair” to New Orleans if he didn’t fully commit himself to his health and fitness.
“He needs to get in shape, playing and simple,” Barkley said on ESPN’s ‘NBA Today’ at the time.
“You know, this is professional basketball. We’re not babysitters. To make the kind of money that these guys are making today, I don’t think it’s a lot to tell guys to get in shape.
“I don’t know Zion, [he] seems like a good kid, but it sounds to me like he don’t have great people like him. Your family and friends should say, ‘Yo man, you’re going to screw up your future.’
“And it’s not fair to the Pelicans. It’s not fair to the NBA. But the bottom line, he just has got to get in shape. Plain and simple… He [has] just got to grow up.”
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Williamson, who is playing his fifth season in the NBA, opened up on his fitness struggles in July while appearing on the Gil’s Arena podcast, hosted by former NBA player Gilbert Arenas.
“It’s hard, man,” Williamson said.
“I’m 20, 22, have all the money in the world − well, it feels like all the money in the world. It’s hard.
“I’m at that point now because of certain things, I’m putting back the wisdom around me. I don’t want to say older because they get defensive, but I’m putting people around me with wisdom. And just go from there.”
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