Zion Williamson will miss the postseason because of a right hamstring injury.
After straining his hamstring during a game against Philadelphia 76ers, the two-time All Star has been sidelined since Jan. 2. Williamson grabbed a rebound and moved the basketball up to the surface before his hamstring gave way.
Shams Charania, a NBA insider, reported Friday that Williamson’s season was likely over three months after the injury. Charania tweeted that Williamson is unlikely to play in the Play-In Tournament next week and that the team is being cautious with his return during his rehabilitation.
Williamson is a great player and can dunk over anyone. But you have to think that Williamson is losing more time with New Orleans’ front offices. It’s hard to imagine the Pelicans being too happy to pay Zion $190 million just to wear street clothes.
Williamson’s four-year tenure in the NBA has seen him spend more time getting injured than actually helping his team.
Williamson missed 24 games in the regular season’s 82-game regular season during his rookie season in 2019. This was due to a right leg injury. Pro Basketball Reference reports that Williamson played in just 61 games in his second campaign, and then he missed the entire 2019-2020 season because of a foot injury.
Six-foot-six forward Williamson led New Orleans to a record of 23-14 before his unfortunate injury. Williamson was a strong Pelicans player, putting them in third place in the Western Conference playoff standings before he was hurt. Williamson was scoring 26.0 points per game, with 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assist per game. ESPN reports that New Orleans is currently in the eighth spot of the postseason standings since Zion’s departure. The Pelicans wouldn’t be able to qualify beyond the play-in round if Zion wasn’t in their lineup.
However, I don’t think it is unfair for the Pelicans to have switched out Williamson in the offseason. They would likely be able to get many assets back for Williamson if they let him go now. Williamson should be kept around for as many seasons as possible, just in case he is injured again during the most critical moments of the season.
Williamson would be my worst nightmare if I was a member of New Orleans’ front desk. Their decision to give him a $190million contract extension seems like a huge mistake. They should trade him as soon as his trade value is high to get as many draft picks for him.