Zion Williamson's Recent Offensive Role Signals His Offseason Fate

On one hand, Zion Williamson deserves a ton of praise for getting his body right and being available for the New Orleans Pelicans for most of the season. On the other hand, the 25-year-old power forward has not been as dominant as he has been in previous years. If Pelicans fans were told that Williamson would play over 60 games this season, every single one of them would have expected this team to be better than 25-54 with three games left in the year. While it's great that the former No. 1 overall pick is as healthy and available as ever, his future on the Pelicans has never been less certain.

The most recent losing streak by the Pelicans clarified a few things for the franchise. Williamson is no longer a good fit for this team, and if this is how he is going to be utilized, there is no reason to keep him around past the offseason.

Zion Williamson Has Been an Afterthought for Pelicans in Recent Weeks

Williamson hasn't hit 25% usage rate in any of the Pelicans' last 15 games. The last time he took 15 shots or more in a game was over a month ago against the Lakers. Last night against the Orlando Magic, Williamson was 5/11 from the field for 17 points. More concerningly, he attempted just one field goal in the fourth quarter. Instead, he spent most of his time off the ball standing in the corner.

The fact that the Pelicans didn't give him the ball down the stretch in a game that didn't feature Dejounte Murray or Trey Murphy should be telling.

If Williamson isn't going to have the ball in his hands, his fit becomes highly questionable. He can still be effective as a roll man and through cuts, but Williamson has had the best moments in his career as an on-ball creator. He is still a force driving to the basket, finishing through contact, or finding teammates off penetration. Now, all he does is cramp the team's already limited spacing as an off-ball player.

Williamson has never been less involved in the offense since he arrived in New Orleans. In his last 14 games, he is taking 10.3 shots a game and averaging 19.2 points and 2.5 assists. He has been very efficient in the shots he takes, but that has not been enough to keep the Pelicans' offense afloat, leading to eight straight losses.

It's not like Williamson makes an impact in other areas of the game. His rebounding has been a disaster again all season. His defensive effort has been better throughout the year, but he still doesn't protect the rim or make plays as a help defender. He remains undersized for his position, creating defensive fit issues.

There is very little reason to keep Williamson around if this is how the Pelicans are planning to use him going forward. The front office is likely aware of this reality and is presumably preparing for the post-Zion Williamson life in New Orleans.