"I've seen a dozen guys eat their way out of the NBA" - Charles Barkley gives advice on Zion Williamson's injury troubles
Zion Williamson's NBA career has never really gotten off the ground. Since entering the league, the former Duke standout has struggled to remain healthy, spending most of his career thus far on the sidelines.
According to Charles Barkley, Williamson could help himself by losing some weight, as the former Phoenix Suns star reckons that's what's behind Williamson's injury issues.
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"You're never gonna be healthy if you're out of shape," Barkley said. "You're too big to play basketball. I hope you don't take this the wrong way. It's positive criticism, critiquing. I want you to be a great basketball player. I've been in your shoes, being a great basketball player, being overweight."
Zion Williamson isn't the first NBA player to be considered overweight; in fact, in recent years, James Harden has received similar criticism. The difference, though, is that Williamson's weight issues are believed to be having a negative effect on his career trajectory, which has led Barkley to issue a stark warning to Williamson.
"I've seen a dozen guys eat their way out of the NBA. It can happen quickly, because once you start getting hurt, you're gonna keep getting hurt, and you're gonna lose your talent."
Perhaps that's why Barkley hopes that Zion Williamson has someone in his camp who's willing to have the difficult conversation with the talented young forward.
"Somebody gotta tell you, like 'yo, man, you gotta get in shape. Coz' you're gonna keep getting hurt if you're outta shape."
As Barkley notes in his discussion with Earnie Johnson, Moses Malone once had to have a similar conversation with him, with the Hall of Fame forward noting how that conversation altered his life.
Zion Williamson's career thus far
Since being drafted with the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, Zion Williamson has participated in 114 regular-season games for the New Orleans Pelicans.
That means Williams has missed 214 games since entering the league, costing him countless hours of developmental time. Furthermore, those missed games will likely have lowered Williamson's career ceiling, as the first few years in the NBA are critical for a player's development.
Nevertheless, when healthy, Williamson boasts arguably the best second jump in the league and has strength most NBA players can only dream of. It's that physicality that has ensured that Williamson remains one of the best interior scorers in the NBA, averaging 25.8 points, seven rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in his young career.
However, the NBA isn't an interior league anymore, and without consistent reps on the court, Williamson will struggle to develop a perimeter shot - which could be the key to him becoming a historical-level talent.
Hopefully, with another off-season ahead of him, Williamson can get his body ready for the upcoming season and begin to make good on the potential that saw him become a high school phenom. Otherwise, the powerful forward could go down in history as one of the biggest busts in NBA history, and that would wreak havoc on the Pelicans' immediate future.