A photo of Pelicans star Zion Williamson enjoying his offseason has fans concerned about his dedication after period of perceived progress.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) reacts to a play against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Delta Center.
The future of the lowly New Orleans Pelicans is very much on the shoulders of Zion Williamson. GM Joe Dumars expects Williamson to be the face of the franchise.

However, he’s faced criticisms of a perceived lack of dedication. Those critiques resurfaced with a recent photo of Williamson living it up, per Legion Hoops.

“Zion Williamson enjoying summer” the caption read. It shows Williamson at a summer party with fans chiming in with their concerns about his priorities.

“Pelicans are COOKED” @DuffyBag5 posted on X. Another user boldly predicts the best will never come.

“Yea this guy will probably never reach his potential sadly” @Navidr9 said on X.

One other fan jokingly referenced Luka Doncic, who recently lost a considerable amount of weight.

“We found where Lukas weight went.” @DanielWoodward posted on X.

Williamson has faced a considerable amount of mockery for not being in tip top shape. Last year, he lost plenty of weight prior to the start of the season, which garnered praise from NBA legend Carmelo Anthony.

Additionally, Williamson averaged 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. The Pelicans finished the year at 21-61.

While the team floundered, Williamson put up some considerably decent numbers. But does putting in position to carry the franchise a real risk/reward?

Can Zion Williamson be the face for the Pelicans?

It’s understandable as to why the Pelicans lament Williamson. On a good day, he is one of the most talented players and has the potential to be even greater.

However, he is notorious for experiencing a rash of injuries. Last December, Williamson suffered a hamstring injury which forced him to miss 27 games.

Furthermore, some off the court issues have called into question the nature of his character. In May, Williamson was accused of rape in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles. A Jane Doe claimed that she and Williamson began dating in 2018 when he was at Duke.

She says he sexually assaulted her in September 2020 in his home in Beverly Hills, California. The lawsuit also alleges that Williamson assaulted her again in October 2020.

Williamson, through his legal team, denied the accusations.