On Monday, Williamson shrugged off the criticism.
“It’s been like that since I was 16 years old,” said Williamson. “Since I came onto the scene. If I want to be one of the best players in the league, if we don’t win in a big moment or something bad happens, then that’s to be expected.”
The microscope on Williamson is understandable. The Pelicans are a contender. They are 13–11, two games back of the No. 3 seed in the conference. The efficiency numbers are middle of the pack, but as players have returned from injuries, those numbers have been improving. When Williamson is on his game, as he was against Minnesota, the Pels are dynamic.
Williamson’s play Monday—which followed a 33-point, eight-rebound, three-steal effort in a late-November win over Philadelphia—is a good sign. If he continues to improve, New Orleans will be a tough out. As for the critics, Williamson’s response was simple.
“If it comes from a great place and a place where they just want to see me do better, thank you,” Williamson said. “But if it comes from anywhere else, everybody is entitled to their own opinion. Can’t control that.”
Let’s jump into Sports Illustrated’s latest NBA power rankings …
1. Minnesota Timberwolves
Last week: 1
How good is Minnesota? We’re about to find out. Monday’s loss to the Pelicans was the first of 16 straight games the T-Wolves will play against teams currently above .500. A continued positive sign for Minnesota: Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns have collected 10 double doubles in the same game this season, the best among NBA duos.
2. Boston Celtics
Last week: 2
The Celtics have won 17 straight home games dating back to last season, with the next four at TD Garden. How important is the three to Boston’s offense? The Celtics are 14–0 when shooting at least .333 from three, and 2–5 when shooting less.
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
Last week: 5
From the “No player has ever” department: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 30.4 points on 55% shooting and 2.77 steals. No player has ever averaged 30+ points on at least 55% shooting and 2.5 or more steals.
4. Denver Nuggets
Last week: 3
Jamal Murray’s return will inject some badly needed firepower to the Nuggets’ bench. Denver’s second unit is 25th in net rating, sandwiched between the Wizards and Jazz. Yikes.
5. Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid’s scoring, rebounding and assist numbers are up from last season, and with Philly just 1½ games back of the top spot in the East, Embiid is right back in the MVP conversation.
6. Orlando Magic
Last week: 4
Toss Cole Anthony’s name into the Sixth Man of the Year mix. Anthony’s scoring (15.4 points), and he’s a career-best 36.5% from three-point range. These aren’t huge jumps from previous seasons. But this year, he’s doing it for a winner.
7. Milwaukee Bucks
Last week: 7
Adrian Griffin’s bumpy first season hit a pothole last week when Bobby Portis reportedly took him to task after Milwaukee looked disorganized down the stretch of a loss to Indiana in the in-season tournament semifinal.
8. Los Angeles Lakers
Last week: 13
Your inaugural in-season tournament champions have been getting it done defensively. Over the last 10 games, L.A. is No. 2 in defensive rating, highlighted by the defensive stranglehold the Lakers put Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers in during the in-season tournament final. With Gabe Vincent closing in on a return, L.A. will enter the meat of its schedule with a full roster.
9. Indiana Pacers
Last week: 11
Are the Pacers preparing to load up? Recent reports suggest Indiana is looking to push its chips in around this Haliburton-led roster. Three-and-D wings like Pascal Siakam or OG Anunoby could be of interest. The Pacers love shooting the three—top 10 in three-point percentage and attempts—and badly need help shoring up their bottom-five defense.
10. New Orleans Pelicans
CJ McCollum has played in five games since returning from a lung issue. New Orleans has won four of them, with McCollum racking up 23 points in 29 minutes against Minnesota.
