Zion’s Best Ability Still Isn’t Availability

Look — I love Zion Williamson.

When he plays, he’s liable to give you 30 & 10 with a few highlight dunks you’d see on SportsCenter and your cousin’s TikTok at the same time.

But I’m starting to get frustrated.

Why?

Because news broke Tuesday evening that Zion will miss extended time again with a Grade 2 right hip abductor strain, sidelining him at least three weeks.

Three. More. Weeks.

And yes, I’m absolutely pissed.

The game is objectively better when Zion is on the floor. From his viral high school mixtapes, to shaking arenas at Duke, to putting grown NBA centers in the rim like carry-on luggage — he’s dynamic. He’s electric. He’s must-see TV.

But the best ability… is availability. And Zion just hasn’t been available.

He’s already missed 11 games this season and is averaging 22.1 points and 5.6 rebounds when he does suit up.

Before this?

He missed eight straight games in November with a hamstring injury.

And then there’s the real gut punch: Since being drafted No. 1 overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019, Zion has played in just 224 of 493 games — that’s 45 percent.

Think about that. Almost five years in, and he’s missed more games than he’s played.

You can’t build a contender like this. You can’t build chemistry like this. You can’t build trust like this.

And I get it … injuries happen. Big dudes, explosive athletes, freaky physics … sometimes bodies say “nah.”

But at some point, you have to wonder if the Pelicans are stuck in an NBA purgatory: Talented enough to dream, unlucky enough to never wake up.

So here’s the million-dollar question: Is it time for the Pelicans to give up on Zion?

Not trade him tomorrow. Not panic. Not overreact.

But really sit in a room — no cameras, no PR team, no “he’ll be back soon” optimism — and be honest.

Can this team ever be built around Zion if he’s physically available less than half the time?

Because we’ve seen the flashes. The 60% shooting nights. The “this man is a refrigerator with a 40-inch vertical” moments. That version of Zion is a franchise-changer. That version of Zion makes New Orleans relevant in a way it hasn’t been since peak Chris Paul.

But that version of Zion barely exists anymore. Well, at least not long enough to build something real.

The Pelicans can’t keep hitting pause while waiting for Zion’s body to buffer like it’s 2009 YouTube.

So yeah… I’m frustrated. I’m annoyed. But really, I’m just sad.

Because the NBA is better when Zion Williamson is healthy.

The Pelicans are better when Zion Williamson is healthy.

Basketball is better when Zion Williamson is healthy.

The problem is: How much longer can New Orleans afford to wait for that?