Should Knicks Read Anything Into Zion Williamson's 'Dope' MSG Comments?

Amidst the New Orleans Pelicans' Tuesday win over the New York Knicks, Zion Williamson enjoyed playing in front of a Madison Square Garden crowd at full strength

It must be 2019, because a New York Knicks loss could be endured in the name of chasing Zion Williamson.

Five years ago, Knicks fans consoled themselves through a 17-win slog with the idea that it would all be worth it thanks to the presence of Duke's Williamson atop the draft board. Ping-pong balls at the NBA Draft Lottery thought otherwise, moving the Knicks to the third slot of that draft and leading them to miss out on both Williamson and Ja Morant.

Though Williamson has established an on-and-off domain atop the New Orleans Pelicans' affairs, some have continued to pair him with the Knicks, who have made no secrets about their desires to add an established star to their fold. Comments from Williamson after the Pelicans' Tuesday night visit to MSG should no doubt re-open the floodgates at the rumor mill.

USA TODAY SPORTS

“I can say this is my first time playing in Madison Square Garden like this where there were no COVID restrictions,” Williamson said in video from the Pelicans. "New York’s the Mecca of basketball ... Playing here for the first time like that was, even though I fouled out; that was unfortunate, it was dope. You can tell the fans are really behind the Knicks and it’s always dope to see especially when fans are super loyal like that but for me, I’m good in NOLA and I’m glad we got the win.”

Injuries and asterisks induced by COVID restrictions prevented Williamson from the full MSG experience but a sellout crowd of 19,812 took in a 115-92 Pelicans victory over the shorthanded Knicks on Tuesday. Williamson was often frustrated by double-teams but scored 21 points before his sixth foul led to his departure.

Williamson's signing of a five-year bayou extension has done nothing to quell rumors of eventually suiting up in blue and orange and his appreciation should no doubt restart that conversation. Though the state of each franchise is remarkably similar, there's no doubt that the Knicks would undoubtedly have plenty to offer Williamson beyond the tropes of a metropolitan setting.

Even with Jalen Brunson presumably untouchable, the Knicks have plenty of assets to offer the Pelicans including a healthy cabinet of draft picks that sacrificed no first-round choices despite obtaining OG Anunoby, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Alec Burks at various stages of the pre-deadline slate. 

On the other hand, New Orleans, which has swiftly recovered from a slow start, has little reason to part with Williamson at this point: with the top pick in tow, New Orleans currently places fifth in the Western Conference, which would be their best placement under Pelicans branding. Since a 4-6 start, the Pelicans have posted a 31-18 record, the eighth-best in the NBA in that span.

Williamson reiterated his commitment to turning the Pelicans into a winning franchise during his postgame comments.

Ailing Knicks Show Hart But Fall to Pelicans

“I’ve said it over the years, but I think this year we’ve really been asserting it: we want to win,” Williamson said, per Dan Martin of the New York Post. “At the end of the day, people remember winners. We want to be winners.”

While it's perhaps heartening to receive a compliment from an elite opponent, it's perhaps best not to expect Williamson to make his way north any time soon. The modern Knicks (35-24) have enjoyed a fair amount of success by not dwelling on the mistakes of the past and have instead paved a path to a brighter future.

Perhaps it's time for fans to do the same, at least when it comes to Williamson's future.