[Clark] At different points, Zion refused to work with VP of Player Care and Performance Aaron Nelson. Brandon Ingram has sometimes seemed unwilling to play through minor discomfort, to the point where some of his teammates have become frustrated with him over the past two years.

Williamson missed the final 45 games last season with a strained hamstring. He wasn’t the only key Pelicans piece to miss extended time.

Brandon Ingram sat out 29 consecutive games with an injury the team described as a left toe contusion. Ingram kicked the back of a Memphis Grizzlies player’s foot in November. Two days after the injury, Pelicans coach Willie Green said Ingram was “day to day.”

Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Ingram did not play again until Jan. 25 — exactly two months after hurting his toe. During this time, there was significant frustration in the Pelicans organization about Ingram’s extended absence. Several people felt that Ingram was capable of playing.

NBA insiders were shocked when Nelson was informed he would no longer be in charge of the Pelicans' player care and performance team. Nelson and Griffin were friends dating to their time with the Suns, and Griffin gave Nelson a huge amount of power in New Orleans.

Other NBA sources wondered if Nelson was being scapegoated for Williamson and Ingram's shortcomings as unreliable stars.

Zion possesses an unprecedented blend of size and speed with a penchant for being out of shape — a recipe for getting injured.

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