Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans have started their final homestand of the regular season with a hammering at the hands of Miami Heat as the latter thrashed them 153-104 on Friday. To add to the embarrassment of a 49-point loss, Williamson's teammate Jeremiah Robinson-Earl saw his name in the history books for the wrong reason.
What unwanted record has Jeremiah Robinson-Earl made?
Despite registering 14 points, seven rebounds and two assists, Robinson-Earl ended the night with a dismal -58 plus-minus, which ties his with Scoot Henderson for the worst in the NBA history. Not just this, the 24-year-old sees his name on the third spot as well in the same list. He had recorded a -56 on December 2, 2021 in a match between Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies.
Adding to Pelicans' misery, Keion Brooks Jr. also had an awful outing as he had an efficiency rating of -56.
NBA analyst dubs Zion Williamson a 'bust'
Stephen A Smith has been critical of Zion Williamson ever since his weight increased. On numerous occasions, Smith has called him out for 'hurting the team'.
After Williamson was out of the remainder of the 2024-25 season, the ESPN analyst didn't hold back and called him a 'bust'. He acknowledged his abilities on the court but feels that his injury issues have made him unreliable.
I feel very very bad for the Pelicans and the city of New Orleans. Zion Williamson is a star-caliber talent. When he's on the court and healthy, he's a monster. The problem is he's rarely available.
And as great as he is, the word 'bust' comes to mind. Not because of his talent, I'm only talking his availability. If you're not available, it doesn't matter how great you are. And he's almost never available, Smith said.
Since 2023, players like LaMelo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Ja Morant have played fewer games but Williamson is the one, who gets the most criticism. During the ongoing season, Williamson has played a total of 30 games as he averages 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. He had a positive impact on the team's performance, the Pels recorded a better win rate (.333) with him than without (.216).