Jrue Holiday offers harsh reality on Zion Williamson: ‘I feel like he needs a change in some kind of way’

Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday shared an honest take about New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williams and his potential future with the franchise.

Williamson and Holiday played together in New Orleans for one season (the 2019-20 campaign) before Holiday was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.

“I think Zion is one of the most talented or most gifted players that I’ve ever seen,” Holiday said. “Athletic ability, how he can get to the rim, get by people. And I feel like sometimes, it’s about fit. And maybe – I don’t know if they have to adjust the fit to him down there or if he need to maybe slide out and have a different fit with somebody else.

“But I feel like he needs a change in some kind of way. ‘Cause, he is promising bro. At least when I had him as a rookie, it was amazing, just what he was capable of.”

This season, a hamstring injury has limited Williamson to just six games, and the Pelicans are struggling without him.

New Orleans currently has a 4-18 record, which is good for dead last in the Western Conference.

When he’s been on the court, Williamson has played well in the 2024-25 season. He’s averaging 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.

There’s no doubt that the Pelicans are a better team when Williamson is on the floor. Since they drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Pelicans are an impressive 101-89 when he plays. However, they are way under .500 when he’s out of the lineup.

Holiday has played with several teams in his NBA career, and he’s won titles with both the Bucks and the Celtics. The veteran guard certainly has a lot of knowledge about fitting in on a championship roster, and it’s possible that some change – even a trade – would help Williamson reach his full potential.

Still, the two-time All-Star needs to be able to stay healthy for long periods of time to truly show what he can do as a player. So far in his NBA career, Williamson has only played in 70 games one time in a single season, and he’s played in less than 30 games in a season on multiple occasions during his short career.