The last thing the New Orleans Pelicans want to see is for star forward Zion Williamson to reinjure himself before the games even start to count. Thus, the Pelicans are taking major precautions, putting Williamson's health as their number one priority.

During the Pelicans' preseason tilt against the Miami Heat, Zion Williamson exited the game due to what the team deemed as “left ankle soreness” and he did not return, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN.

Pelicans fans will be holding their breath in anticipation of further updates regarding Williamson's status, especially after past lower body injuries have robbed Williamson of considerable time on the basketball court. The 22-year old did not make his NBA debut until January 2020 due to knee problems, and he missed the entirety of last season following surgery to repair his broken foot.

Zion Williamson also weathered ankle issues back in February of 2020, but he did not miss a significant number of games due to that minor injury.

Thankfully, Pelicans head coach Willie Green told reporters after the game that Williamson “is doing fine”, and that he is merely day-to-day after he rolled his ankle, according to Andrew Lopez.

While there are no indications that this injury could balloon into something serious, the Pelicans will still take the extremely cautious route when it comes to their franchise cornerstone. Williamson signed a five-year, $193 million extension this past offseason that could rise up to $231 million should he meet certain incentives, and the Pelicans are wise to protect their major investment.

The fourth-year forward out of Duke tore up the competition during the 2020-21 season, when he averaged 27 points per game on an insane 65 percent True Shooting in 61 games, and it's not a stretch to say that he's capable of becoming an even better all-around player.

Zion Williamson was entering the season with so much motivation to prove his naysayers wrong, so hopefully for him and the Pelicans, the ankle injury he suffered proves to be nothing more than a footnote to a prosperous 2022-23 campaign.