Zion Williamson’s season debut to be pushed back even more

Initially projected to miss 6-8 weeks, sadly for Pelicans fans, it now looks like number one pick Zion Williamson is going to miss even more time

Entering the season, both Pelicans fans and NBA fans at large were very excited to watch New Orleans and see just what Zion Williamson would be able to do as an NBA player. After a phenomenal single season at Duke, which cemented him as the number one pick and a seemingly can’t miss prospect, the Pelicans were lucky enough to win the draft lottery and earn the rights to Zion. But now, even after he has missed the first quarter of the season, it looks like it’s still going to be a bit longer until we can get our first glimpse of him in NBA action.

Last night, Kristen Ledlow reported that Williamson would not return within the initial 6-8 week timeframe given in the immediate aftermath of his injury, when he had surgery to repair an injured meniscus in his right knee. It’s sad news to hear, but only confirms what most onlookers had already assumed since that period is soon to expire and there have been essentially no rumblings of him being ready to join the team’s active roster yet.

This also tracks with what coach Alvin Gentry told reporters on Monday as he said that the team does not want to rush him back from injury and that, even if they did, “I don’t think it’s anything that can be rushed. I think it’s a time thing…  It’s a matter of taking the time to make sure he’s fine.”

The Pelicans are, according to Gentry, being “overly cautious,” even though Zion is extremely eager to return to the floor. On the plus side, Gentry did say that Williamson is “in a really good space with his rehab.”

On the positive end of the spectrum, ESPN reported that Williamson has begun to join the team for some on-court work such as “light walkthroughs with the team and spot shooting.” It’s not full speed, full-court, five-on-five or anything like that, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

The team has been clear that there are certain benchmarks they want to see Zion hit before returning to action, though they have not revealed what exactly those benchmarks are nor how close, or far away, he is from meeting them.

All season long, the Pelicans have been ravaged by a continuous spate of injuries apart from Zion’s. No Pelican has played in all of their games and several important contributors have been forced to miss multiple games already. Because of this, it’s hard to tell just how good this team is. They’ve often appeared to be missing a piece or two. Perhaps once Zion returns, he can be that missing piece and the Pelicans will begin to look like the team fans hoped they would before the season began.

Hopefully, he will be healthy soon and able to get back on the court, both for the sake of the struggling Pelicans and also for all the NBA fans who are dying to get their first look of a player who appears poised to be a genuine star for many years. That is, if he can stay healthy.