Zion Williamson and R.J. Barret finally made their NBA Summer League debuts. After immense buildup, the two started their teams’ first game of Summer League and provided a smattering of highlights.
However, after only playing nine minutes, the No. 1 overall pick suffered a knee-to-knee collision during the game, which will keep him out for the remainder of Summer League, the New Orleans Pelicans announced on Saturday.
Pelicans No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson will miss the remainder of NBA summer league with a bruised left knee.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 6, 2019
This is surely a blow to NBA fans who wanted to see Zion’s high-flying exploits at the NBA level, but even though he only played nine minutes, he provided one of the most engaging highlights of the early going of Summer League with this absolutely preposterous steal and slam versus second-year wing Kevin Knox.
Beyond that, the Pelicans actually won their game against the Knicks, which was shortened due to the 7.1 magnitude earthquake nearby that caused the stadium to visibly shake.
While a bruised left knee doesn’t particularly sound like a serious issue for the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft, it seems as if the Pelicans, helmed by brilliant general manager David Griffin, are being extremely cautious regarding any injury that befalls their likely future superstar.
For a player that moves as well as Zion does on the court and explodes off the ground for mammoth air time, his weight is surely a concern for the franchise going forward.
Any injury that Zion gets is likely to be met with similar caution, which is certainly the right move for a player who has the potential to be one of the best in the league in the future.
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