"Zion Williamson is on a minutes restriction for what?" - Reggie Miller expresses frustration with Pelicans star's limited playing time
New Orleans Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson's minutes restriction was a hot topic of discussion during Tuesday's 124-106 road loss to the Golden State Warriors. Upon catching wind of the two-time All-Star's limitations, TNT's Reggie Miller expressed apparent confusion and frustration.
Williamson sat out New Orleans' season opener against the Chicago Bulls due to an illness. Upon being cleared to return, Pelicans coach Willie Green noted that he would play "a little under" his regular minutes to begin the season.
The 2019 No. 1 draft pick logged under 30 minutes in his first two outings against the Portland Trail Blazers. He followed that up by playing exactly 30 minutes on Tuesday against Golden State.
Early in the third quarter, TNT's Kevin Harlan brought up Williamson's minutes restriction, adding that it would be something to monitor throughout the night. Afterward, Miller questioned why he was on a restriction despite not being injured.
"Hold up, why is he on a minutes restriction?" Miller said. "Wait, I wanna go back. Zion Williamson is on a minutes restriction for what?"
Upon hearing Harlan's explanation, the Indiana Pacers legend added that young players like Williamson (24) shouldn't need to be monitored.
"Give me a break. You've got one of the best young players in our game. Minutes restriction?" Miller said. "You shouldn't be on a minutes restriction if you're sick."
Williamson has an extensive injury history, with last season marking the first time he reached 70 games. The star forward averaged 31.5 minutes per game over 70 contests last season and 33.0 mpg across 29 outings during the 2022-23 campaign.
So, despite Miller's apparent gripe, Williamson appears unlikely to see his playing time increase substantially this season.
Zion Williamson thrives in limited action despite getting called out by Reggie Miller
While Zion Williamson only played 30 minutes on Tuesday, he made the most of them. He finished with a game-high 31 points, eight rebounds and three assists, shooting 63.2%. That marked his best performance of the season by a wide margin, as he averaged only 15.0 points per game on 25.9% shooting over his first two outings.
Unfortunately for Williamson, he received little help. While he and his co-star Brandon Ingram combined for 61 points, no other Pelican reached double figures as the team suffered an 18-point road loss.
New Orleans (2-2) rematches against Golden State (3-1) on Wednesday, marking Williamson's next chance to surpass 30 minutes of action.
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