New Orleans Pelicans rookie phenom Zion Williamson may be back around his team in the practice facility, but that doesn't mean he is actually going to participate.
Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry says that there is no plan in place yet for Williamson to return to practice, per Will Guillory of The Athletic, which does not come as much of a surprise considering that the 19-year-old just underwent knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus late last month.
Williamson was given a timetable of six to eight weeks, which is certainly not the news New Orleans was hoping to hear in a season that some actually thought it would contend for a playoff spot in the rugged Western Conference. Still, it's good to see him back around the club:
Guess who's back in the building pic.twitter.com/ySzzPMtgg3
— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) November 6, 2019
Williamson has now experienced knee issues three times since last February, starting when his shoe exploded while he was at Duke in a game against North Carolina. He then banged knees with a New York Knicks player in Summer League before having some knee soreness during preseason.
The Salisbury, N.C. native spent one year at Duke, averaging 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks over 30.0 minutes per game while shooting 68.0 percent from the floor, 33.8 percent from 3-point range and 64.0 percent from the free-throw line.
Considered by some to be the best prospect since LeBron James entered the NBA back in 2003, Williamson was selected No. 1 overall by the Pelicans back in June.
While Williamson is incredibly gifted, there are some who are concerned about his massive 280-pound frame and whether or not his legs can handle that type of stress.
Hopefully, Williamson will be just fine moving forward.
New Orleans has gone 1-6 in his absence.
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