Zion Williamson’s Injury Changes What For Pelicans? Is It Alarming?

For the New Orleans Pelicans, Zion Williamson’s hamstring injury has made things worse. The former All-Star will be out for at least two more weeks before being reevaluated.

Adrian Wojnarowski, a senior NBA insider for ESPN, stated on January 4 that Zion Williamson had an MRI and would be reevaluated in three weeks. Williamson might make his debut as early as the first week of February if he needs one more week to improve his fitness after the re-evaluation.

Zion Williamson was picked by New Orleans with the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, which was almost four years ago. Williamson has missed 188 out of a possible 302 games over that time, including the whole 2021–22 season. Williamson has missed 76 games this season due to a prolonged layoff that started in January, and the circumstances surrounding his comeback are at best hazy.

Williamson’s absences this season have been disappointing, but his performances when he is on the court are equally as inspiring. Williamson just needed to play in 29 games to be selected as an All-Star starter; his statistics of 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game shown that he was capable of doing so.

Brandon Ingram has been sidelined since November 25 due to toe issues, leaving the Pelicans already short on scorers. The Pelicans’ breakthrough 2022–23 season was greatly influenced by Williamson, and now that he and Ingram are both out for an extended period of time, the club will have to work extremely hard to remain competitive.

The Pelicans have a 2-4 record since the beginning of the year, with their two victories coming over teams with records below.500.

Williamson Injured- The High Time Is Yet To Come!

Williamson’s second season was cut short by a fractured thumb. Jones’ right foot injury caused Year 3 to terminate before it ever got started. Williamson has missed three months of play so far this season because of a strained right hamstring.

The term “injury-prone” is appropriate, but a closer examination of Williamson’s past serves as a reminder that athletes who fight ailments on a regular basis should be given some sort of distinction.

As inappropriate as it may seem, attempting to draw comparisons between the struggles of one player and those of another is frequently in our nature as humans or as sports fans. It could be a precaution to keep expectations in check by planning for the worst while hoping for the best. The future?

Pelicans’ Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, David Griffin, also spoke about Williamson’s injury and a timeline of his return:

“I think we’re looking at multiple weeks past All-Star break (that Williamson will be sidelined),” Griffin said. What that looks like in terms of (exact) timeline (for his return), I really can’t tell you.”

Obviously, all we have to go on is what we’ve seen, but Williamson is still in a position where he can put everything behind him and, in a few years, portray these first few seasons as a blip and an odd chain of bad luck.

https://twitter.com/balltalknba/status/1641580908019892226?s=20

Williamson is unique, therefore it’s unfair to compare him to anybody else because we’ve never met anyone else like him.

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