Is Zion Williamson Playing Tonight vs Hornets? Pelicans Star Forward’s Availability Update for Friday

Zion Williamson is back to playing in the NBA after a season-long hiatus. He will play a crucial role on Friday against Charlotte Hornets.

The New Orleans Pelicans look stacked this season. Brandon Ingram has evolved into a lethal big and CJ McCollum is one of the best shooting guards in the game today. With Zion back this season, things look promising for this franchise.

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— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 20, 2022

Zion sent the entire 2022-23 season in recovery. In the 2021 off-season, Williamson had surgery to repair his fractured foot. And as the star was preparing for a comeback, he had to get another surgery. The entire rehab cost him an entire season.

With questions surrounding his return and his weight, Zion Williamson finally made a comeback to the NBA court for Pelicans’ season opener against the Brooklyn Nets. He is expected to play again on Friday in a face-off against Charlotte Hornets.

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Zion Williamson is healthy and ready to dominate

Luckily for the Pelicans, Zion did not face any problems after his season debut. He is completely healthy and has not been named on the team’s injury report. This essentially specifies that Williamson will start against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.

In his previous appearance, Zion faced the Nets alongside his teammates. The Pelicans looked strong and easily overcame Brooklyn’s defense. Even their defense was on point and they were able to hold off almost all of Nets’ scorers. Only Kevin Durant found some rhythm against them.

Zion managed to score 25 in his season debut. He also had 9 rebounds and 4 steals in the game. It will be interesting to see how he fares against Charlotte’s defensive lineup.

Charlotte Hornets to play without LaMelo Ball

Thankfully for the Pelicans, LaMelo Ball will remain inactive on Friday. He has been ruled out of the game because of a left ankle sprain.

This will prove beneficial for New Orleans. They will not have to maneuver around LaMelo’s crafty play-making and shooting. It also gives CJ McCollum an easier matchup against Dennis Smith Jr.

Zion will be a key player for the Pelicans. He was the second-best scorer in the last game and the team will expect him to repeat his defensive and offensive performance.

Also read: “What They’re Putting Around LeBron James is an Embarrassment”: Charles Barkley Attacks Lakers Front Office After Suffering a 103-97 Loss vs LAC

Post Edited By: Jatin Hasija

Charlotte Hornets New Orleans Pelicans Zion Williamson

About the author

Adit Pujari

Adit Pujari is an NBA Journalist and Strategist at The SportsRush. He formerly worked as a debate and writing trainer. An avid fan of Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, Adit began following the league in 2007. With the Lakers and Boston Celtics rivalry ripe, he found himself hooked to the sport immediately. After 15 years of religiously following the league, he decided to use his knowledge base as a sports writer in 2021. Since then, he has worked as an NBA writer, led a team of MLB writers, and has now joined The SportsRush. In his spare time, Adit loves playing pickup games and exploring hidden Himalayan trails.

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