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The New Orleans Pelicans announced on Thursday that Zion Williamson left the Orlando bubble to attend to family health matters. New Orleans, likewise, expects the rookie star to rejoin the team at the Walt Disney World complex at a later date. While his status to return is still up in the air, Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry isn't ruling out the possibility that their prized rookie returns just in time for their restart opener against the Utah Jazz.
Alvin Gentry talked about possible adjustments to his lineup without Zion Williamson but said "hopefully that won't be the case".
So, it's obviously possible that Zion could be back and good to go for the Pelicans restart opener against Utah.
— Doug Mouton (@DMoutonWWL) July 18, 2020
The Pelicans stated that they completely support the 20-year old's decision to leave the team to be with his family. However, they did not disclose any further details on the matter.
It's still unknown when Zion Williamson will return and he may miss a portion of the restart if he doesn't return on time. Zion will need to go through quarantine for at most 10 days upon returning to Disney World and should register at least two negative tests before getting the clearance to return to play.
The Pelicans are currently sitting at the no. 10 spot in the Western Conference. They are 3.5 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the 8th and final playoff spot in the West. Obviously, New Orleans would ideally want to have Williamson for the entire stretch run. However, they did say that they are prioritizing his family and his own health as well.
With the lengthy layoff, New Orleans is reportedly considering exercising caution with their prized star's minutes much like they did during the regular season. Even though a playoff spot is within reach, Williamson's long term health is most important.
