The return to on-court activities doesn’t mean that Williamson, who has been out with a hamstring injury, will suit up for the Pelicans right away. He is expected to be re-evaluated in two weeks, after which the Pelicans will determine if he is ready to give him game action.

Williamson has played only 29 games this season but was the team’s best player when on the court. He averaged 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game.

It isn’t guaranteed that we’ll get to see Zion Williamson on the court again in 2022-23. The regular season will end in less than three weeks, and it will make sense for the Pelicans to play Williamson only if they have something to play for.

New Orleans is currently sitting at No. 12 in the Western Conference standings with a 35-37 record. They are currently out of the Play-In spot but trail the No. 10 Los Angeles Lakers by just half a game and the sixth-seeded Golden State Warriors by two games.

The post Pelicans Say All-Star Zion Williamson Can Resume “On-Court Activities” appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The 22-year-old power forward had a dominant return to action, scoring 25 points and adding nine rebounds, three assists, and four steals. Thanks to Williamson and contributions from Brandon Ingram, who scored 28 points and had seven rebounds, the Pelicans’ strolled to a comfortable 130-108 win.

Speaking after the game, Williamson said that he believes he can still improve a lot despite the big performance against the Nets.

“It’s a lot of room for improvement,” Williamson told reporters. “I’m still learning my teammates. Now we get real in-game reps. I’m just excited to grow.”

Zion Williamson was forced to miss the entire 2021-22 NBA season after suffering a Jones fracture in his right foot and requiring surgery. Despite this, the Pelicans decided to sign him to a new extension this summer that maxes out at 5-year and $231 million. If Williamson’s 2022-23 debut is any indicator, this seems like money well spent for the Pelicans.

The post Zion Williamson Returns to Action With Dominant Performance in 130-108 Win Over the Nets appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Williamson explained that he exited the Heat game as a measure of precaution. The ankle injury is just slight soreness, and he expects to be back in action real soon.

“It was one of those things where it happened, and I popped back up, like, ‘Yeah, I’m straight,’” Williamson said. “Played a few minutes after that, it felt fine. Then they sent me to the back just to double check.”

Pelicans’ head coach Willie Green also confirmed that Williamson isn’t dealing with anything serious and is considered day-to-day.

Injuries have been a major issue for Zion Williamson since he entered the league as the first overall pick in 2019. Williamson missed much of his rookie year dealing with a torn meniscus and managed only to play 24 games. After an All-Star outing in 2020-21, the Duke product got hurt again and was forced to undergo surgery due to a foot fracture. This caused him to miss the entire last season.

In his three years as a pro, Williamson managed to play only 85 games but was as good as advertised when on the court. His NBA averages include 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.

The post Pelicans’ All-Star Zion Williamson Says His Recent Ankle Injury is Nothing Serious appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“I do want to be here. That’s no secret. I feel like I’ve stood on that when I spoke,” said Williamson when asked if his appearance indicates his commitment to the city and Pelicans organization. “Currently, this does not really have anything to do with that. This is just me wanting to be a pillar in my community.”

Williamson had to undergo surgery to repair a broken foot ahead of the 2021-22 season and has missed the entire campaign as a result. During his absence, reports surfaced about his dissatisfaction with the organization as well as his disconnect from his teammates. The chatter was further fueled by the player’s decision to rehab away from New Orleans. However, these rumors were later denied by Williamson and the Pelicans.

The state of the relationship between the two sides will likely become clear later in the summer. This is when Williamson will become eligible to ink a five-year, $186 million max rookie extension with the Pelicans. The organization, on its part, indicated that this is the offer they are willing to make.

“This is a max player,” David Griffin, the Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations, recently said during an appearance on The Ryen Russillo podcast. “I think it is a pretty easy decision.”

The post Zion Williamson on His Future with Pels: “I Do Want To Be Here” appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

According to Griffin, Williamson broke his foot during summer practices in August and had a procedure to repair the damage shortly after.

“He had a fractured right foot that was repaired surgically,” Griffin said. “His timeline should get him back on the court in the time of the regular season. That would be our hope and our view. And we’re very optimistic about what that looks like.”

Griffin added that the Pelicans’ brass met with Williamson and his family in order to lay out a plan for his return to the court.

Zion Williamson, who was the first-overall pick in 2019, has already dealt with several injuries in his young NBA career. During his rookie season, Williamson only managed to play 25 games after spending the better part of 2019-20 sidelined with a knee injury.

In his sophomore year, Williamson played 61 games but had to wrap up his 2020-21 season earlier than expected due to a thumb injury. The Duke product has been averaging 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game since entering the league.

The post Pelicans Reveal Zion Williamson Had Foot Surgery in Offseason appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

However, after the 122-113 defeat to San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night, Pelicans are now out of the playoff race. This also means that we won’t get to watch the highly anticipated playoff duel between Pelicans’ rookie Zion Williamson and LA Lakers’ star LeBron James.

Williamson was one of the leaders for Pelicans against Spurs, dropping 25 points and seven rebounds, while JJ Redick dropped 31 points. However, that wasn’t enough to route the experienced Spurs, who were propelled to win by DeMar DeRozan’s 27 points while four other players were in double digits.

The loss against Spurs was New Orleans’ fourth in the bubble, leaving them two games behind the No.9 seeded Portland Trail Blazers. But since Blazers own the tiebreaker, no matter how the rest of the regular season plays out, Pelicans lost even the chance to find themselves in the play-in tournament.

There is going to be a tight race for the No. 8 in the West as four teams—Grizzlies, Blazers, Spurs, and Phoenix Suns – find themselves within 1.5 games. Sacramento Kings were previously eliminated from the playoffs race as well.

The post Zion Williamson and Pelicans Eliminated From NBA Playoffs Race appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Williamson, who was No.1 pick in 2019 NBA Draft, decided to leave the NBA camp on July 16 to attend to “an urgent family matter.” Pelicans said at the time that they are fully supportive of the player’s decision while rejecting to make further comments on the matter.

The organization now issued a statement in which they revealed that Williamson has been tested for coronavirus on a daily basis since departing and has produced negative tests so far. New Orleans added that there is “no current timetable for his return to campus” but expect the 20-year-old player back at some point.

Under current NBA protocols, Zion Williamson will have to quarantine for four days upon his return under the condition that he produced daily negative test for seven days straight. If not, he will have to spend up to 10 days in isolation.

Williamson missed the most of the 2019/20 season with a knee injury, but he still managed to put an impressive showing in his first season in NBA. He played 19 games so far and contributed with 23.6 points, 6.8 rebound, and 2.2 assists per game.

On Wednesday night, New Orleans Pelicans played their first exhibition game in Orlando, getting a massive 99-68 win against Brooklyn Nets. Their first regular-season game of NBA restart is scheduled on July 31st when they are set to play Utah Jazz.

The post Pelicans Provide an Update on Zion Williamson: “He Fully Intends to Rejoin the Team” appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Now, since Pelicans got the spot in NBA’s 22-team plan to restart the season in Orlando, Williamson will get another chance to show why he was made the first overall pick in this year’s draft. And, according to David Griffin, the Pelicans’ executive vice president of basketball operations, he’s more than ready to do so.

“Zion has been diligent about taking care of himself,” said Griffin. “He’s in a good space physically and mentally.”

Sources close to the team even went a step further, telling ESPN that the league is in for a surprise once Williamson returns.

“He’s going to shock some people,” said the sources.

Having a healthy Zion Williamson will be of utmost importance for Pelicans considering that they are one of the teams that will be fighting for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference. Pelicans are currently 3.5 games behind No.8 seeded Memphis Grizzlies, sharing the record with Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings.

Williamson played 19 games so far in the NBA and averaged 23.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.2 points per game.

The post Pelicans’ Zion Williamson Reportedly in Great Shape Ahead of NBA Restart appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Williamson was recently seen shooting basketball during the Pelicans’ shootaround on Tuesday, which made the fans think he is ready to make his NBA debut.

They were quickly disappointed by Pelicans’ executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin, who later explained that Williamson hadn’t recovered yet. Still, Griffin revealed that the 19-year-old “made really good progress” in the rehab process.

 “We’re really excited about where he’s at,” said Griffin. “He’s made really good progress. I know we’ve reached the eight-week point, and everyone is ready to see him. I think we’re a little ways away yet, but today was a really big first step.”

Zion Williamson underwent a meniscus surgery in October, which caused him to make a regular-season NBA debut. Williamson previously played four preseason games, during which he averaged 23.3 points and 6.5 rebounds. He was initially projected to miss six to eight weeks recovering from surgery, but it seems like Pelicans will not take risks with their prized asset and are ready to wait as long as necessary.

New Orleans is having a disastrous season so far, sitting at the bottom of Western Conference with 6-22 record. They are currently on a 13-games losing streak.

The post Pelicans’ Rookie Zion Williamson “Made Really Good Progress” in His Rehab from Knee Injury appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The return to on-court activities doesn’t mean that Williamson, who has been out with a hamstring injury, will suit up for the Pelicans right away. He is expected to be re-evaluated in two weeks, after which the Pelicans will determine if he is ready to give him game action.

Williamson has played only 29 games this season but was the team’s best player when on the court. He averaged 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game.

It isn’t guaranteed that we’ll get to see Zion Williamson on the court again in 2022-23. The regular season will end in less than three weeks, and it will make sense for the Pelicans to play Williamson only if they have something to play for.

New Orleans is currently sitting at No. 12 in the Western Conference standings with a 35-37 record. They are currently out of the Play-In spot but trail the No. 10 Los Angeles Lakers by just half a game and the sixth-seeded Golden State Warriors by two games.

The post Pelicans Say All-Star Zion Williamson Can Resume “On-Court Activities” appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The 22-year-old power forward had a dominant return to action, scoring 25 points and adding nine rebounds, three assists, and four steals. Thanks to Williamson and contributions from Brandon Ingram, who scored 28 points and had seven rebounds, the Pelicans’ strolled to a comfortable 130-108 win.

Speaking after the game, Williamson said that he believes he can still improve a lot despite the big performance against the Nets.

“It’s a lot of room for improvement,” Williamson told reporters. “I’m still learning my teammates. Now we get real in-game reps. I’m just excited to grow.”

Zion Williamson was forced to miss the entire 2021-22 NBA season after suffering a Jones fracture in his right foot and requiring surgery. Despite this, the Pelicans decided to sign him to a new extension this summer that maxes out at 5-year and $231 million. If Williamson’s 2022-23 debut is any indicator, this seems like money well spent for the Pelicans.

The post Zion Williamson Returns to Action With Dominant Performance in 130-108 Win Over the Nets appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Williamson explained that he exited the Heat game as a measure of precaution. The ankle injury is just slight soreness, and he expects to be back in action real soon.

“It was one of those things where it happened, and I popped back up, like, ‘Yeah, I’m straight,’” Williamson said. “Played a few minutes after that, it felt fine. Then they sent me to the back just to double check.”

Pelicans’ head coach Willie Green also confirmed that Williamson isn’t dealing with anything serious and is considered day-to-day.

Injuries have been a major issue for Zion Williamson since he entered the league as the first overall pick in 2019. Williamson missed much of his rookie year dealing with a torn meniscus and managed only to play 24 games. After an All-Star outing in 2020-21, the Duke product got hurt again and was forced to undergo surgery due to a foot fracture. This caused him to miss the entire last season.

In his three years as a pro, Williamson managed to play only 85 games but was as good as advertised when on the court. His NBA averages include 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.

The post Pelicans’ All-Star Zion Williamson Says His Recent Ankle Injury is Nothing Serious appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“I do want to be here. That’s no secret. I feel like I’ve stood on that when I spoke,” said Williamson when asked if his appearance indicates his commitment to the city and Pelicans organization. “Currently, this does not really have anything to do with that. This is just me wanting to be a pillar in my community.”

Williamson had to undergo surgery to repair a broken foot ahead of the 2021-22 season and has missed the entire campaign as a result. During his absence, reports surfaced about his dissatisfaction with the organization as well as his disconnect from his teammates. The chatter was further fueled by the player’s decision to rehab away from New Orleans. However, these rumors were later denied by Williamson and the Pelicans.

The state of the relationship between the two sides will likely become clear later in the summer. This is when Williamson will become eligible to ink a five-year, $186 million max rookie extension with the Pelicans. The organization, on its part, indicated that this is the offer they are willing to make.

“This is a max player,” David Griffin, the Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations, recently said during an appearance on The Ryen Russillo podcast. “I think it is a pretty easy decision.”

The post Zion Williamson on His Future with Pels: “I Do Want To Be Here” appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

According to Griffin, Williamson broke his foot during summer practices in August and had a procedure to repair the damage shortly after.

“He had a fractured right foot that was repaired surgically,” Griffin said. “His timeline should get him back on the court in the time of the regular season. That would be our hope and our view. And we’re very optimistic about what that looks like.”

Griffin added that the Pelicans’ brass met with Williamson and his family in order to lay out a plan for his return to the court.

Zion Williamson, who was the first-overall pick in 2019, has already dealt with several injuries in his young NBA career. During his rookie season, Williamson only managed to play 25 games after spending the better part of 2019-20 sidelined with a knee injury.

In his sophomore year, Williamson played 61 games but had to wrap up his 2020-21 season earlier than expected due to a thumb injury. The Duke product has been averaging 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game since entering the league.

The post Pelicans Reveal Zion Williamson Had Foot Surgery in Offseason appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

However, after the 122-113 defeat to San Antonio Spurs on Sunday night, Pelicans are now out of the playoff race. This also means that we won’t get to watch the highly anticipated playoff duel between Pelicans’ rookie Zion Williamson and LA Lakers’ star LeBron James.

Williamson was one of the leaders for Pelicans against Spurs, dropping 25 points and seven rebounds, while JJ Redick dropped 31 points. However, that wasn’t enough to route the experienced Spurs, who were propelled to win by DeMar DeRozan’s 27 points while four other players were in double digits.

The loss against Spurs was New Orleans’ fourth in the bubble, leaving them two games behind the No.9 seeded Portland Trail Blazers. But since Blazers own the tiebreaker, no matter how the rest of the regular season plays out, Pelicans lost even the chance to find themselves in the play-in tournament.

There is going to be a tight race for the No. 8 in the West as four teams—Grizzlies, Blazers, Spurs, and Phoenix Suns – find themselves within 1.5 games. Sacramento Kings were previously eliminated from the playoffs race as well.

The post Zion Williamson and Pelicans Eliminated From NBA Playoffs Race appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Williamson, who was No.1 pick in 2019 NBA Draft, decided to leave the NBA camp on July 16 to attend to “an urgent family matter.” Pelicans said at the time that they are fully supportive of the player’s decision while rejecting to make further comments on the matter.

The organization now issued a statement in which they revealed that Williamson has been tested for coronavirus on a daily basis since departing and has produced negative tests so far. New Orleans added that there is “no current timetable for his return to campus” but expect the 20-year-old player back at some point.

Under current NBA protocols, Zion Williamson will have to quarantine for four days upon his return under the condition that he produced daily negative test for seven days straight. If not, he will have to spend up to 10 days in isolation.

Williamson missed the most of the 2019/20 season with a knee injury, but he still managed to put an impressive showing in his first season in NBA. He played 19 games so far and contributed with 23.6 points, 6.8 rebound, and 2.2 assists per game.

On Wednesday night, New Orleans Pelicans played their first exhibition game in Orlando, getting a massive 99-68 win against Brooklyn Nets. Their first regular-season game of NBA restart is scheduled on July 31st when they are set to play Utah Jazz.

The post Pelicans Provide an Update on Zion Williamson: “He Fully Intends to Rejoin the Team” appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Now, since Pelicans got the spot in NBA’s 22-team plan to restart the season in Orlando, Williamson will get another chance to show why he was made the first overall pick in this year’s draft. And, according to David Griffin, the Pelicans’ executive vice president of basketball operations, he’s more than ready to do so.

“Zion has been diligent about taking care of himself,” said Griffin. “He’s in a good space physically and mentally.”

Sources close to the team even went a step further, telling ESPN that the league is in for a surprise once Williamson returns.

“He’s going to shock some people,” said the sources.

Having a healthy Zion Williamson will be of utmost importance for Pelicans considering that they are one of the teams that will be fighting for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference. Pelicans are currently 3.5 games behind No.8 seeded Memphis Grizzlies, sharing the record with Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings.

Williamson played 19 games so far in the NBA and averaged 23.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.2 points per game.

The post Pelicans’ Zion Williamson Reportedly in Great Shape Ahead of NBA Restart appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Williamson was recently seen shooting basketball during the Pelicans’ shootaround on Tuesday, which made the fans think he is ready to make his NBA debut.

They were quickly disappointed by Pelicans’ executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin, who later explained that Williamson hadn’t recovered yet. Still, Griffin revealed that the 19-year-old “made really good progress” in the rehab process.

 “We’re really excited about where he’s at,” said Griffin. “He’s made really good progress. I know we’ve reached the eight-week point, and everyone is ready to see him. I think we’re a little ways away yet, but today was a really big first step.”

Zion Williamson underwent a meniscus surgery in October, which caused him to make a regular-season NBA debut. Williamson previously played four preseason games, during which he averaged 23.3 points and 6.5 rebounds. He was initially projected to miss six to eight weeks recovering from surgery, but it seems like Pelicans will not take risks with their prized asset and are ready to wait as long as necessary.

New Orleans is having a disastrous season so far, sitting at the bottom of Western Conference with 6-22 record. They are currently on a 13-games losing streak.

The post Pelicans’ Rookie Zion Williamson “Made Really Good Progress” in His Rehab from Knee Injury appeared first on yoursportspot.com.