NBA Summer League 2019: Knicks vs Pelicans - 3 Talking Points from Zion Williamson's first game

#2 Much to the dismay of the fans, Zion takes a knee in the first half and is benched

Zion was limited to very little playing time on the night

There was no doubt that Coach Alvin Gentry would be extra protective with his priced first overall pick during his debut Summer League game. And when Zion took a knee-to-knee hit in the first half itself, he was not taking any more chances from that point.

Zion Williamson took knee to knee hit in first half. Will not return with left knee injury. It's not expected to be serious but the Pelicans are taking a cautious approach with their #1 pick during this summer league.

— Cassidy Hubbarth (@CassidyHubbarth) July 6, 2019

As a result, Williamson's knee was wrapped in ice packs and he warmed the bench for the rest of the game. Expectedly so, the crowd at the Thomas & Mack center felt betrayed.

Seven minutes into the second half, fans have begun "we want Zion" chants. this morning, Alvin Gentry said that if those chants were to break out, his response would be: "I want Zion, too. I want him healthy in the regular season. We won't push him tonight."

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) July 6, 2019

Originally, the rookie sensation was suppposed to play 24-28 minutes at the very least but ended up crashing out of the game after just 9 minutes of playtime. He scored 11 points - 10 of which came in the first quarter itself - on 4-of-9 shooting from the floor along with 3 rebounds. He shot and missed both of his three-pointers on the night.

"With Zion, just seeing him his first game and how explosive he is and getting to talk to him," Teammate Jrue Holiday said on ESPN, "it seems like a very good career ahead."

Zion Williamson drops 10 PTS in the 1st Q of @nyknicks/@PelicansNBA! #NBASummer 📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/SuvVh9tB1P

— NBA (@NBA) July 6, 2019