Zion Williamson Won’t Be Ready for NBA Regular Season

Williamson is expected to miss several weeks of action thanks to a knee injury

No. 1 Draft Pick Zion Williamson Getting Close to Making NBA Debut
Zion Williamson of the Pelicans shoots during a preseason game. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty)
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No. 1 draft pick and preseason star Zion Williamson is expected to miss several weeks of regular-season action for the Pelicans thanks to a knee injury he suffered earlier this week.

Though no one is certain, New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said he believes Williamson suffered the injury to his right knee during a preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.

The team will be very cautious with their star rookie and he is expected to miss “a period of weeks” to start the regular season, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

t shootaround Friday morning, Jrue Holiday said that he had not spoken with Williamson and had only just found out about the injury when he got a twitter notification on his Apple Watch. Holiday’s advice to Williamson: “Stay strong.”

“Obviously, his body is strong,” said Williamson’s teammate Jrue Holiday. “Your body can bounce back. But mentally, I think that’s where you just have to lock in and be patient.”

It’s a shame as we’ll have to wait to see whether Williamson can carry his stellar preseason averages —  23.3 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 71.4 percent from the field — over to the regular season.

Still, the Pelicans are right to be cautious as the injury is a legit concern for Williamson. The 19-year-old missed time with a knee issue while playing for Duke when his Nike infamously imploded and also missed part of the NBA summer league thanks to a left knee problem.

Not exactly great timing for Williamson’s new soda sponsorship deal to be announced.

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