Stan Van Gundy talks to Zion Williamson (1). Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Former coach Stan Van Gundy defends Zion Williamson

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated 12/17/21

Stan Van Gundy and Zion Williamson may have had their differences during Van Gundy’s brief tenure as head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans. That doesn’t mean the former coach is going to pile on with Williamson amid numerous unflattering reports.

Williamson suffered a recent setback while trying to return from foot surgery. There have been a lot of questions about his work ethic and talk about his weight being out of control. Some people have also compared Williamson to fellow former first overall pick Greg Oden and wonder if his career could be over before it really takes off.

Van Gundy took to Twitter on Friday morning to dispute some of those narratives. He noted how Joel Embiid, who is one of the best players in the NBA, missed significantly more games than Williamson in his first three seasons.

It is unfortunate that Zion Williamson has missed so many games in his first 3 years. He is a tremendous talent and one of the most exciting players in the league. But keep things in perspective. He has played almost 3 times as many games as Embiid did in his first 3 years.

— Stan Van Gundy (@realStanVG) December 17, 2021

Like Williamson and Oden, Embiid also dealt with a foot issue early in his career. There were also concerns about his weight. Van Gundy defended Williamson further and said any talk about his weight or conditioning is mere speculation. He told the critics to “calm down.”

Every situation is different but early injuries can be overcome and lead to high level play. Embiid is proof. And Zion has played more and at a higher level than Embiid did his first 3 years. Everyone needs to calm down on Zion.

— Stan Van Gundy (@realStanVG) December 17, 2021

You, and all of the other people commenting on here, have no idea what he weighs or what is body fat is and none of the injuries he has had have anything to do with conditioning. Of course he needs to get in great shape. Everyone does.

— Stan Van Gundy (@realStanVG) December 17, 2021

Van Gundy’s defense of Williamson is noteworthy. He only coached the former Duke star for one season, but there were reports that Williamson pushed Van Gundy out in New Orleans. Van Gundy has had nothing but positive things to say about Zion since.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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