Before winning the first-ever In-Season Tournament against the Indiana Pacers, the Lakers had to face Zion Williamson’s New Orleans Pelicans, which did not pose enough of a threat to the Lakers.
LeBron James dominated in that game, and Zion Williamson, who is usually a dominant player himself, looked a bit off and played more passively than he should have. Patrick Beverly addressed his wishes recently in his podcast, pointing out this mistake by Zion.
Williamson’s marquee matchup disappoints Beverley
The New Orleans Pelicans faced the Los Angeles Lakers, who worked very hard before the clash, in the semifinals of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament. Despite expectations that the Pelicans would give the Lakers a tough challenge, the Lakers emerged victorious and went on to win the entire tournament. Zion Williamson, assigned the challenging task of guarding LeBron James, was anticipated to make a significant impact on the game, but the outcome did not unfold as many had predicted.
Zion is an exceptional player who has consistently dominated for the Pelicans. However, in the recent matchup against the Lakers, he played passively, failing to exert his usual dominance. Patrick Beverley, the guard for the 76ers, recognized this mistake by Zion and expressed his disappointment on his podcast.
Pat said, “I am disappointed in Zion. I really wanted him to go at Bron, I understand he was taking the charges, but you have got to maneuver around that. I wanted Zion to take that next step forward. That was the perfect time to do it. He was passive… I just want him to be more dominant, that was his moment. There are not too many opportunities in this league.”
Williamson acknowledges being too laid back in defeat to LeBron James
Not only Pat Bev was disappointed by Zion’s performance that night, but Zion Williamson himself also recognized his mistakes and expressed disappointment during the post-game conference. He highlighted the errors made by his team, as assessed by his good coach, and acknowledged his own subpar performance that night.
Zion scored only 13 points and collected just 2 rebounds, which are way lower than his usual numbers in a match. He addressed his poor performance, saying, “I got to be better, I have to be more aggressive, finding my shot. I have to do more things to get my team going. I think I was very laid-back tonight, and I just can not do that. And defensively I got to be better too.”
What do you think of Pat Bev’s statement about Zion? Do you think Zion Williamson will change the next time he faces LeBron? We are eager to know your thoughts, so drop down in the comments and let us know them.
