Joe Dumars joined the New Orleans Pelicans as the new head of basketball operations and he is tasked to elevating them to another level after yet another failed season. They no longer have Brandon Ingram but they still have Zion Williamson who according to Dumars should have more responsibility now as a leader.
The new Pelicans chief said he wants Williamson to just become more accountable and responsible.
“The main thing that I’ve talked to Zion about is just responsibility and accountability,” Dumars told reporters on Monday.
“What I’ve said to him is ‘with greatness comes responsibility. You don’t get to be great and not responsible.’ And so it’s just been a heavy emphasis on that. Just being accountable and responsible for what you do. It’s not enough just to be talented.”
Williamson played just 30 games last season owing to various injuries. He was drafted no. 1 overall in 2019 and never averaged below 20 points in his entire career.
Dumars does not pressure Zion Williamson to win right away
Scoring is not his sole responsibility now. As to winning games, Dumars is not going hard on him or the rest of the squad. He just wants them to play hard.
Let me set the expectations for you right now, so there’s no misunderstanding,” he said recalling what he told the players and staff.
“There’s no amount of wins. There’s no: ‘You’ve got to make the play-in.’ None of that. … If we play as hard as we can play every night, we’re going to get enough wins where we’re going to be happy.”
Williamson is now one of the older players in the squad following the departure of Ingram and CJ McCollum. The squad also now has Jordan Poole, Kevon Looney, and Saddiq Bey. They also selected to first round picks in last draft – Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen.
For the latest Basketball Content
Make sure you are always updated on your favorite basketball players and teams. Follow us @HardwoodHeroics for the latest and trending news about NBA, college basketball, and more. Stay updated by reading more of our NBA articles by clicking here and college basketball by clicking here!
