Zion Williamson 22 Points/4 Threes Pelicans Debut Full Highlights (1/22/2020)

With 5:23 left in the fourth quarter, after several false starts, the Pelicans subbed Zion Williamson out of the game. He had just scored 17 straight points, including four three-pointers, in the span of three minutes, bringing his team back from a 10-point deficit against the Spurs. He never got put back in the game, and the Pelicans lost.

I’m sorry, but this is a situation where you have to say “if he dies, he dies”. Yeah, he’s just coming back from knee surgery. Yeah, he’s on a minutes restriction. Yeah, you want to protect the investment that might make you billions of dollars over the lifetime of your franchise. I get all that. But this is his NBA debut, he’s killing it, the fans are going crazy, ESPN executives are watching dumptrucks full of money dump it in their big money pit, Adam Silver is placing an order with his manufacturer for a million more Williamson jerseys, you can’t just take him out of the game.

I love Derrick Favors, and he’s probably way better than Williamson when it comes to winning games at this point, but I recognize that he’s one of the most boring players in the league. People kept watching, but only because they were praying that Williamson would get back in the game. Literally praying to Jesus.

There were options for the Pelicans coaching staff. Williamson had just hit four threes basically in a row, he’d proven that he can hit shots. If you’re concerned about the integrity of his ligaments/cartilages/patellas/femurs, just have him stand in the corner like he’s Danny Green or something and have him hit more threes. It’s not like LaFartus Fartridge wanted to defend him out there. OR, you could have had him dunk it over and over again until his legs finally gave out and lay lifeless on the hardwood, having gone out in a blaze of ultimate glory.

Instead, nothing. We were basically robbed of AT LEAST a 30-burger, possibly a 40-burger. And that is NOT okay.

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