The New Orleans Pelicans have had a problem with Zion Williamson over the course of his career. Williamson has not been able to keep his body in shape. Consequently, Williamson has been injured almost every season he’s played.
So far in his career, Williamson has played 70 games just once in five full seasons. So far this season, he has played just 10 games. Without Williamson in the lineup, the Pelicans have the worst record in the NBA. Even when he has been playing, New Orleans hasn’t been good.
After playing three straight games and five of six, Williamson has hurt himself yet again. New Orleans will now have to manage without him for an extended period of time.
GettyZion Williamson shoots the ball. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Pelicans to be Without Zion Williamson At Least Three Weeks
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Williamson will miss at least three weeks with a right adductor strain. He will be re-evaluated in three weeks, meaning he will likely miss more time than that. That means the Pelicans will have to find more offense in his stead.
On one hand, taking him out of the lineup hurts their chances to win. He is still the best player that the team has on the roster. Without him, they don’t have much of a shot to beat even bad teams around the NBA. His skills are still too hard to stop.
On the other hand, the Pelicans have gotten used to playing without Williamson. New Orleans is also looking like a team that will tank this season, so this will help that effort. They likely need to draft a new face of the franchise, as Williamson has been a failure from that standpoint.
Since the Pelicans drafted Williamson in 2019, they have made the playoffs just twice. They have won a total of two playoff games out of the eight that they have played. It’s clear that the franchise needs to take a different path.
GettyZion Williamson dribbles the ball. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Teams Could Make Trade Calls About Zion Williamson
Despite the warts that Williamson has, he is still immensely talented. Teams could take a flier on him and see if a change of scenery would do him good. Williamson signed a five-year extension worth $197.2 million in 2023, but he is not guaranteed that money in the final three seasons.
Williamson has to hit a games played threshold for that salary to be guaranteed to him. Right now, he is on track to have some problems hitting those thresholds. That could entice another team to want to trade for him because of those contract protections.
New Orleans has been steadfast that they are not trading Williamson in the past, but circumstances may have changed. He is now in a different situation, as is the team. The Pelicans might be more open to making a change.
The Pelicans have a new person in charge in Joe Dumars, so he might have a different vision for how to handle Williamson. How he comes back from this injury could determine his trade market.
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