New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson criticized the team's performance in Sunday's loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs raced out to a 17-point lead at the end of the first half, and Williamson said the slow start was “not acceptable.” Zion also noted that the lack of energy in the first two quarters “dictates the second half.”

Zion Williamson played 27 minutes, his highest single-game total in the “bubble” so far. However, the results were mixed.

He scored 25 points on 10-of-20 shooting from the field while also grabbing seven rebounds. However, the Pelicans rookie finished the game at -21 in terms of plus-minus, the second-worst mark of any player that took the floor.

Although Williamson has been excellent in bursts, he has looked especially lackluster on the defensive end of the floor. Much has been made about his playing time, but the numbers show the Pelicans are far better without him on the floor (via ESPN):

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  1. Before the bubble, with Zion on the floor, the Pelicans had a net rating of plus-10.4, which is outstanding. (That included lineups when Williamson was teamed with Pelicans reserves.) But when he was off the court, they had a net rating of minus-3.5.
  2. Now the whole deal has reversed itself. In the bubble, the Pelicans are struggling with Zion on the floor, with an atrocious minus-22.8 net rating. It gets stranger: When Zion is off the floor, the Pelicans have a net rating of plus-6.8.

The Pelicans entered the bubble with an excellent chance to at least reach a play-in series for the final seed in the Western Conference. Nonetheless, their apparent lack of effort might prevent a playoff berth.

New Orleans is behind three teams for the No. 9 seed, with just two games to play. It would seem the Pels have to win their final seeding games to have any shot at a play-in series.