All the New Orleans Pelicans are begging for is one chance at making a deep playoff run with a full-strength squad. Alas, the basketball gods keep frowning on the Pelicans. Not only did the Pelicans fall to seventh in the Western Conference standings after suffering a 117-108 loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night (paired with a win from the Phoenix Suns), they also had to see Zion Williamson exit the game early after injuring his finger.
During his postgame presser, Williamson clarified when he sustained the injury that necessitated the taping of his left middle finger. According to Andrew Lopez of ESPN, the Pelicans star “injured his finger on a block attempt against Jalen Suggs” and that he “also got hit at one point” before hurting his finger yet again on a dunk, presumably during the 9:20 mark in the fourth quarter.
Zion Williamson exited the game with 7:24 remaining in the game, and the Pelicans down by 15. With that much time remaining, New Orleans still had a shot to make a comeback, so it's not like he was held out due to garbage time.
The good news is that Williamson did not have to go to the locker room, as he was on the bench to end what was a disappointing showing for the Pelicans against the Magic. Nonetheless, it remains unclear as to how severe the injury is and whether or not it will force the Pelicans star to miss some time at the most crucial juncture of the regular season.
The injury bug haunts Zion Williamson… again
Zion Williamson's health is of utmost importance to the Pelicans' hopes of competing for a championship. Throughout his career, the Pelicans have been a much better team with Williamson healthy, as evidenced by the fact that they were among the best teams in the Western Conference in the 2022-23 season before their star man went down with a season-ending injury.
For this season, Williamson has stayed mostly healthy. The Pelicans star has set a personal record for most gamed played in a single season, with 65, and heading into April, it looks like Williamson will be healthy enough to suit up in the playoffs for the first time. Now, this finger puts his playing status in the coming games in doubt, not mention that he'll still be suiting up at less than 100 percent health if he's cleared to play.
Now, Zion Williamson and the Pelicans also have to worry about falling to the play-in tournament. New Orleans has won in the play-in before, making the playoffs as the eight-seed back in 2022. But last year, the Pelicans notably struggled in the 9 vs. 10 matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. There's simply too much variance in a single-elimination game, so the Pelicans better be careful.
The Pelicans miss Brandon Ingram dearly
Games against the Magic this season have been costly for the Pelicans. In addition to witnessing Zion Williamson sustain a finger injury on Wednesday night, they also lost Brandon Ingram to a knee contusion that has kept him out since March 21.
It seems like the Pelicans can't find a way to have Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram healthy at the same time through no fault of their own. Ingram has a chance to return later in the season, but there may not be a season for him to return to if the Pelicans continue the downward trend they've been on as of late.
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