Zion Williamson's New Orleans Pelicans debut was not all it had been cracked up to be through the first three quarters.

Williamson — who was playing mostly in short bursts — committed multiple turnovers and seemed tentative to look for his own shot. He also showed a rather uncharacteristic lack of defensive awareness, losing his assignment multiple times on backdoor cuts.

In the fourth quarter, however, Zion exploded. The rookie sensation scored 17 consecutive points and drilled all four of his 3-point attempts to bring the Pelicans back from a double-digit deficit on Wednesday night against the San Antonio Spurs.

Having caught the Spurs, Zion and the Pels appeared primed to finish them off. But New Orleans head coach Alvin Gentry pulled Williamson in the final minutes at the request of the training staff, and the Pelicans would subsequently go on to lose the game.

Williamson tried to convince Gentry to leave him in the game:

However, the Pelicans are exhibiting caution. Zion finished the contest with 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists in just 18 minutes of action, but the postgame chatter was dominated by one subject: should Gentry have allowed Zion to remain in the game?

The Pelicans had won five of their last seven entering Wednesday night's contest. They had climbed back into contention for the eighth and final spot, and they were facing a Spurs team also desperate to make a playoff run. In other words, despite it being January, this was a fairly significant game.

Nevertheless, it is hard to argue against the logic for sending Zion to the bench. The Pelicans are trying to ease Williamson back into the flow of the game and let his body adjust accordingly. It is well within their jurisdiction to preserve Zion when they see fit.

“When you have a plan, you do not deviate from that plan”

Former NBA head coach Jeff Van Gundy spoke these words to “SportsCenter” anchor Scott Van Pelt in the aftermath of Wednesday's game, and it is consistent with everything about the NBA.

The Pelicans said before the game that even though Zion would play, they would limit his minutes in short bursts. Minutes restrictions are hardly unnatural in the NBA; in fact they are very common. Processes, too, are common and followed rigorously.

Derrick Rose did not return for the playoffs the season after he tore his ACL. More recently, the Brooklyn Nets said they would not rush Kyrie Irving's recovery from a shoulder impingement. Ditto for Kevin Durant, and the Washington Wizards are insistent they will not let John Wall take the floor until he is 100 percent healthy.

The Pelicans do indeed have a plan for Zion, so why is it fair to chastise them for following that plan? Remember, the Pelicans were trying to change Williamson's body composition and the way he landed on jumps, so it is wiser for him to feel things out at first and eventually respond with increased playing time.

When it comes to Zion Williamson, the Pelicans are considering far more than the 2019-20 season, which is the right approach when it comes to managing one of the most dynamic and unique players in NBA history.