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Pelicans’ New Plan To Make Zion Williamson Less Fat

Pelicans’ New Plan To Make Zion Williamson Less Fat

Last year Zion Williamson averaged 27 points and 7 rebounds per game for the New Orleans Pelicans. There is little doubt that, when he plays, he is one of the NBA’s best young talents.

The hard part is actually getting him onto the court.

Williamson has been out of action since this past May after undergoing offseason foot surgery. The original expectation was that he would return in time for the season to commence, but obviously that didn’t end up happening. Now, 19 games into the year – his comeback is nowhere in sight.

Part of the problem has been Williamson’s inability to get back in shape, particularly as it pertains to his weight. Recent videos have suggested that he has gotten extremely fat, which is the last thing anyone wanted after he already came into camp intensely overweight.

Many have taken to wondering if perhaps Williamson’s persistent injury woes are simply the byproduct of his poor eating habits and the subsequent impact that has on his body. Even his former teammates have conceded that this is an issue.

Now the Pelicans are reportedly taking a stricter approach as it pertains to Williamson’s food intake.

According to ESPN NBA insiders Brian Windhorst and Andrew Lopez, New Orleans has “changed members of the staff and even changed some of their culinary practices in an attempt to support” their oft-injured big man.

Let that sink in for a moment. Things have gotten so bad with Williamson that the entire organization has been forced to change its culinary practices as a result of how fat he has gotten.

Yikes.

Complicating matters even further is Williamson’s refusal to commit in any real capacity to the Pelicans. He seems annoyed with the franchise and has made it no secret that he has his eye on a certain squad out East that apparently is more his speed.

This understandably has made New Orleans go into full panic mode.

The Pelicans are currently 3-16 on the year. Even when Williamson returns, it’s hard to see a scenario where he changes their fortunes all that much.

At some point, the front office is going to need to make a tough decision on his future with the organization. And at the moment, it feels like that decision is going to be a lose-lose proposition.

Related: Scottie Pippen Mocks, Dismisses Stephen Curry’s Warriors (Video)

Charles Kruger

Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7's go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.

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