We all know that the reason the NBA invited so many teams into the Bubb was because they wanted Zion Williamson (and, incidentally, the rest of the Pelicans’ roster) to be in the playoffs. Nobody’s gone right out and said it, but this conclusion is so obvious that it completely bypasses “conspiracy theory” territory and lands squarely in “accepted fact” territory. Zion drives viewers. The entire goal of the playoffs, from an NBA financial perspective, is to have as many viewers as possible. Therefore, Zion being in the playoffs was the ultimate goal.
That goal is dead now. With the Pelicans losing this game, they are eliminated from playoff contention. The NBA will have to be content with the substantial marketing power of Damian Lillard as the 8th seed in the West, rather than the unknown but tantalizing marketing power of Zion Williamson. Adam Silver is, at this very moment, “punching the air rn”, as the kids are fond of saying.
This is probably good for Zion, honestly. Every game of his that I watch, I’m wincing at the way he runs and the total disregard with which he treats his body. Sure, it’s fun to power through players on your way to infinite buckets, but this dude is carrying some extra weight around and his joints can’t be happy about it. The sooner he gets off the court and onto some kind of comprehensive weight-loss regimen, the better. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Pelicans rested him for the rest of the “regular season” so that he stays healthy. They can just give Jahlil Okafor those minutes and get 60% of the production for 100% less risk of gruesome, career-ending injuries.