After going back and forth in the Play-in tournament, the New Orleans Pelicans have finally carved their way into the NBA playoffs this year. However, the next obstacle on their road to an NBA title is beyond a daunting one – the Oklahoma City Thunder. And as if this alone wasn’t concerning enough, missing out on Zion Williamson’s energy and tenacity is sure to give some Pelicans fans sleepless nights.
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As per the official injury report of the league, the young star has unfortunately been listed out for Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder squad due to soreness in his left soleus. Before this injury, Williamson was last seen on the court in the Pelicans’ loss to the Lakers in the first Play-in matchup.
“He is a really good dude, a really good human being… You guys dont see the work he is putting in but you see the results… We expect greatness from him”
— CJ McCollum on Zion Williamson pic.twitter.com/PAK0jOcLVI
— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) April 13, 2024
Though the Pelicans superstar was visibly frustrated over not being able to help his team finish the game, his 40-point 11-rebound performance was highly praised by fans and teammates alike. Luckily for New Orleans, the rest of the squad was able to defeat the Sacramento Kings in the fight for the eighth seed before they were set to face OKC in the first round.
After being endlessly doubted, Zion Williamson went on to turn this season around for himself and his team as well. The Duke product worked hard to shed excessive amounts of weight to return to his old high-flying self. Moreover, he even went on to adopt a new approach to his game, taking on more of a point-forward role popularized by LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Zion Williamson has a career high 6 STEALS pic.twitter.com/0wKrXaN4q4
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 13, 2024
A big step ahead in elevating his game to the next level, the New Orleans Pelicans will most likely struggle a bit without Williamson’s relentlessness on both ends of the floor, with the emphasis being more on offense. Being the scoring leader on his team, Zion Williamson’s 22.9 points per game average (per Statmuse) will have to be filled up by someone else when they face this young but smart Thunder squad during game 1 of this series.
As for a timeline on the star’s return, according to the New Orleans Pelicans’ official report, Williamson is scheduled to be re-evaluated after two weeks of this injury. Hopefully, the two-time All-Star can make a comeback for his team before it’s too late.
