Zion Williamson’s teammate notches up highly unwanted NBA record

Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans kickstarted their final homestand of the regular season with their most lopsided loss in franchise history – a 153-104 blowout loss to the Miami Heat on Friday. To add to the embarrassment of the 49-point loss, Williamson’s teammate Jeremiah Robinson-Earl etched his name in the history books for an unwanted feat.

Despite posting a seemingly solid stat line of 14 points, seven rebounds and two assists, Robinson-Earl ended the night with a horrendous -58 plus-minus, which ties him with Scoot Henderson for the worst in NBA history.

The 24-year-old also features in third spot in the same list. He had recorded a -56 in a Dec. 2, 2021 game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies.

Adding to the Pelicans' misery, Keion Brooks Jr. also delivered an awful performance, finishing the night with an efficiency rating of -56.

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Analyst dubs Zion Williamson a “bust”

Stephen A Smith has been critical of Zion Williamson since Williamson's bodyweight visibly increased. On numerous occasions, Smith has called him out for “hurting the team”.

After Williamson was shut down for the remainder of the 2024-25 season, the ESPN analyst didn’t mince words when calling the former Duke Blue Devil a “bust”. Smith acknowledged the impressive abilities of the forward on the hardwood but claimed that lingering injury issues made him highly unreliable.

"I feel very very bad for the Pelicans and the city of New Orleans. Zion Williamson is a star-caliber talent. When he's on the court and healthy, he's a monster. The problem is he's rarely available.

"And as great as he is, the word 'bust' comes to mind. Not because of his talent, I'm only talking his availability. If you're not available, it doesn't matter how great you are. And he's almost never available,” Smith said.

Since 2023, players like LaMelo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Ja Morant have played significantly fewer games. Yet Williamson receives the most criticism among all.

During the ongoing season, Williamson suited up for 30 games and appeared to be his dominant self, averaging 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per outing. He had a positive impact on the team’s performance – the Pels recorded a better win rate (.333) with him than without (.216).