Zion Williamson Falls Short Of NBA Playoffs 7 Seasons In A Row

by Cedric ‘BIG CED’ Thornton

April 14, 2026

‘I haven’t experienced the playoffs, and it’s something that I would love to experience.’

New Orleans Pelicans player Zion Williamson has been in the NBA since 2019 and has yet to set foot on the basketball court in the playoffs. He is yearning to participate and will try something different in the offseason.

According to Athlon Sports, the former Duke player, who was once hailed as the future face of the NBA while still in college, is disappointed to have never experienced postseason play. Although the Pelicans have reached the playoffs twice since he was drafted, he has not played due to injuries. Williamson is the only player in the league who has been there for more than five years who has yet to play in a postseason game.

During his season-ending exit interview with the team, he said, “I do want to experience the playoffs. I haven’t experienced the playoffs, and it’s something that I would love to experience.”

The knock on Williamson is that he is always injured, and when not, he carries too much weight to be as effective as he could be. But this year, he played in 62 games, the most he has played since the 2023-24 season. That year, he appeared in 70 games. The typical NBA season is 82 games. His stats for the season were 21 points per game, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting 60%.

He does hope to do better and has vowed to reach out to former NBA players during the offseason in preparation for next season.

“Using my resources to reach out to other Hall of Famers, reach out to other championship players, reach out to greats, and see what their journey was like. Because I would like to play in the playoffs.”

“It’s frustrating getting up here every year and not being in the playoffs,” he said. “And I take my responsibility in that. I’ve definitely held myself accountable. So, it’s time to start taking different approaches, gaining what knowledge I can, and working on different things.”