Zion Williamson will miss 6-8 weeks with a torn meniscus. As soon as the Pelicans announced that, attention turned to his weight.
Is Williamson too heavy?
Listed at 6-foot-6 and 284 pounds, Williamson is certainly large. He puts even more stress on his body with his incredible hops.
But Pelicans lead executive David Griffin is adamant: There’s no connection between Williamson’s weight and this injury.
Marc Stein of The New York Times:
Pels GM David Griffin, pushing back on suggestions that weight has factored in Zion Williamson's knee injury, said just now after shootaround: "He's in elite condition"
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 22, 2019
Pels GM David Griffin, pushing back on suggestions that weight has factored in Zion Williamson's knee injury, said just now after shootaround: "He's in elite condition"
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 22, 2019
Williamson’s weight has been a topic of conversation ever since he popped as a prospect. It drew attention at Duke. And once Williamson became the No. 1 pick, concern grew along with his profile.
New Orleans is trying to keep pressure off Williamson. So, of course Griffin would say this. He’d never publicly call out Williamson for his weight.
And maybe there truly is no connection. Griffin has access to medical information I don’t.
Maybe there’d be other consequences. Williamson could lose some of the power that makes him so special. But it’s nearly impossible to watch Williamson flying around the court at his size and not think shedding a few pounds would ease the stress on his body.