Is Zion Williamson turning into the next Kawhi Leonard?

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PORTLAND, OREGON – FEBRUARY 21: CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers and Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans shake hands after the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 128-115 during their game at Moda Center on February 21, 2020 in Portland, Oregon, Is Zion Williamson turning into the next Kawhi Leonard?. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

A lot of people have come to believe that Zion Williamson is not fully committed to the New Orleans‘ Pelicans organization. Former teammate and ESPN analyst JJ Redick called Williamson a detached teammate for not reaching out to newly acquired Pelican CJ McCollum upon joining the team.

Redick stated that Williamson hasn’t been close with the organization since his rookie season, as there were similar issues during the 2019-20 campaign. Although Redick’s statements are factual, Zion Williamson’s detachment from the organization likely has to do with his relationship with management, rather than his actual personality.

Is Zion Williamson turning into the next Kawhi Leonard?: Personality

Before coming into the NBA, the perception around Williamson was that he was always an upbeat guy. His former head coach, Mike Krzyzewski, said that Zion has an infectious personality – people are always happy to be around him.

Former teammate RJ Barrett echoed those sentiments, saying that Williamson is a people person who can talk to anyone. However, upon entering the league, the perception around Williamson changed due to his relationship with President of Basketball Operations David Griffin.

Before the last preseason game of his rookie campaign, the Pelicans announced that Zion would miss that game against the Knicks due to right knee soreness. The diagnosis didn’t tell the whole truth about what was occurring with Williamson’s right knee, as he underwent orthoscopic surgery to remove a portion of his right meniscus on October 21, 2019.

After his surgery, the Pelicans announced that he would return to action in six to eight weeks, which would have put him on the court in mid-to-late December. Unfortunately, the Pelicans kept him out for a month longer than was anticipated because they wanted to re-teach him how to walk and run properly to reduce the risk of future knee injuries.

Before this injury, Williamson walked and ran with his knees facing inwards. According to Doctor Brian Sutterer. Walking with your knees facing inwards puts extra stress on the ACL ligament, increasing the likelihood of an injury occurring.

Zion Williamson supported the Pelicans publicly, as he told ESPN’s Jorge Sedano on Christmas that he was fully on board with the team’s plan. However, Williamson and his family had different sentiments in private.

The Williamson family showed increased frustration that the Pelicans put Zion through so many hoops to return to action. His family felt that he was ready to go after the initial timetable ended. The family blamed Griffin for the prolonged absence.

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