New Orleans Pelicans fans weren't shocked when they read that Zion Williamson had been downgraded for Monday's game against the Celtics because of a left foot bone contusion, but they were disappointed. The regular season just started last Wednesday, but he's already dealing with a new injury.
Williamson scored 27 points in each of the Pelicans' first two games. He added nine rebounds, five assists, and five steals in the 128-122 loss to the Grizzlies, the first game of the season. On Friday, he had 10 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals in a 120-116 overtime loss to the Spurs. So much for this season being different.
The odds of even reaching the first round of the playoffs were stacked against New Orleans before the news broke that Zion is dealing with a foot injury, so if he misses significant time, the Pelicans' season will be over even earlier than expected. New Orleans will be in the running for another young Duke star.
This is the problem that comes with committing to Zion as your star player year after year. As fun as it is to watch him when he's healthy, it doesn't happen nearly often enough. He was limited to 30 games last season, and during the 2023-24 season, Zion played 70 games, but he strained his hamstring during a play-in game against the Lakers. It's never-ending.
Pelicans injury update:
— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) October 27, 2025
Zion Williamson (left foot bone contusion) has been downgraded to questionable for tonight's game vs Boston.
Yves Missi (right ankle sprain) and Karlo Matkovic (low back spasms) have been upgraded to available.
Zion Williamson is dealing with a left foot bone contusion
There hasn't been any mention of the injury, aside from Zion being questionable. It's hard not to assume that he'll miss the game against Boston, a showdown between two winless teams. If you do a quick search on bone contusions, you'll find they can take at least a few weeks to heal. It can also take months, which is obviously an outcome the Pelicans want to avoid.
Without speculating about how much time Zion could miss, the obvious is that this isn't the position New Orleans wants to be in with its star player entering game 3 of an 82-game regular season.
Hopefully, it won't be something that lingers for too long, but at this point, every Pelicans fan knows better than to get their hopes up when it comes to their favorite basketball team. It doesn't seem right when things do go in New Orleans' favor, which hasn't been a regular occurrence. What little good the Pelicans have doesn't last long.