As the saying goes, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” The New Orleans Pelicans should leave whatever that putrid stinker of a performance was during their NBA In-Season Tournament semifinals game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Quite frankly, Zion Williamson and the Pelicans did not deserve to be there. Not after their showing on Thursday night at the T-Mobile Arena, where the Pelicans were absolutely disgraced by LeBron James and the Lakers in the form of a 133-89 mollywhopping.

Sure, the Lakers were understandably favored over the Pelicans heading into the highly-anticipated showdown. But this was just an embarrassment for the Pelicans.  Right from the get-go, the Lakers looked locked in. Their energy, effort, and care for the game were evident right from tip-off. Meanwhile, the Pelicans were lackadaisical and quite frankly looked lifeless on both ends of the floor.

James scored 30 points on 9-of-12 shooting to go along with eight assists and five rebounds. The 39-year-old did all that in 22 minutes of light work. Meanwhile, the Pelicans had just two players score in double-figures — Zion Williamson had 13 points, while Trey Murphy III scored 14 points off the bench. Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum both had rough shooting nights, combining for just 8-of-27 from the field for nine points apiece.

Ideally, you can't point the finger at just one person for this public humiliation in Las Vegas of all places. Not one Pelicans player had a good game. But if anyone on this team deserves the most blame, it has to be Zion Williamson.

Pelicans most to blame in embarrassing loss to Lakers: Zion Williamson

Zion Williamson is the franchise star of this team. As much as Brandon Ingram is the Pelicans' leading scorer this season, everything starts with Zion Williamson.

The basketball world seemed to forget about Williamson since he has been out for the majority of the last two years due to injury. But now that he's healthy, the stage was set under the bright lights of Las Vegas for the former No. 1 overall pick to show to the world just what he is about.

Unfortunately, he completely faded under the spotlight. Or he just did not care enough.

Williamson is the leader of this team. It is his responsibility to set the tone and set an early example for his teammates. But Williamson was just too nonchalant and quite frankly lazy out there in what should have been the most important game of his career. The 23-year-old lacked aggression and failed to match the energy that 39-year-old LeBron James brought from the onset of the game.

The Inside the NBA crew went after Williamson following his lackluster performance.

Shaquille O'Neal made some points about what he observed from Williamson during Thursday's game.

“[He] does not run hard,” O'Neal said. “I had the same problem my first and second year, I thought I was running hard.”

“He doesn't create easy looks for himself,” Shaq noted next. “He doesn't demand the ball. You've got a small guy on you. You can't let a little guy guard you. And he doesn't have that look.”

“And, he doesn't rebound,” O'Neal said finally. Williamson had just two rebounds in 26 minutes.

Shaq certainly made good points. When a four-time NBA Champion and Hall of Famer speaks about your lack of effort, that's a problem.

Likewise, Charles Barkley, who sees a lot of himself in Williamson, has been critical of the former No. 1 overall pick throughout his career. The NBA legend isn't one to mince his words and he went off on the burly forward once again after New Orleans' embarrassing performance.

“The thing that disturbs me,” Barkley said. “He's not a young kid. When Moses [Malone] called me ‘fat and lazy' I was a rookie. He's been in the league long enough.”

“[Williamson] has two guys on his team that are better than him,” Barkley said in reference to Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum. “And they shouldn't be. [Williamson] should be their best player and it's not even close.”

Sir Charles also agreed with O'Neal's point about Williamson's lack of assertiveness on the glass, adding he should be averaging at least 10 rebounds per game. On the season, he is only at 5.6 boards per contest.

“And he doesn't run the floor at all,” Barkley added.

It's a cliche thing to say, but Williamson just did not appear to want it enough. There just wasn't that killer mentality that LeBron James displayed or the assertiveness and desire to go get it like a fellow budding star in Indiana showed the previous semifinals game.

To be fair, Williamson did own up for the way he played.

“I got to be better,” Williamson said during the post-game press conference. “I got to be more aggressive, finding my shot. I got to do more things to get my team going. I think I was too laid-back tonight, and I just can't do that. And defensively I got to be better.”

It's one thing to say it. But it's another to do it.

This must be disappointing for Pelicans fans and NBA fans in general, because at the peak of his powers, Williamson should be one of the best players in the NBA.