Is Zion Williamson playing tonight against the Atlanta Hawks? Latest injury report from New Orleans Pelicans (13th October)

The New Orleans Pelicans could give Zion Williamson the night off on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks.
The New Orleans Pelicans could give Zion Williamson the night off on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks.

Zion Williamson has had an up-and-down preseason for the New Orleans Pelicans. He had a solid debut against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday after nine months recovering from a hamstring injury. “Zanos” finished with 12 points in 15 minutes to go with five rebounds and five assists. However, he struggled a lot against the Houston Rockets in his second preseason game.

The two-time All-Star ended the game with four points in 22 minutes along with four rebounds and one assist. He attempted just three field goals and looked a little sluggish. After his long layoff, it was almost expected that he’d be a little winded.

The New Orleans Pelicans may choose to sideline him against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. New Orleans will be headed to Atlanta and might decide to give Williamson a rest. They can’t afford to risk him in the preseason when he has a long history of injuries.

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Pelicans coach Willie Green told reporters after the brutal loss to the Rockets that the most important thing for Zion Williamson is to be healthy. The team believes that he will be ready when the season starts on Oct. 24, which is why they will give him rest when he needed it.

If he sits out on Saturday night against the Atlanta Hawks, “Zanos” could be back on the court on Tuesday in a rematch with the Orlando Magic.


The New Orleans Pelicans failed to get Zion Williamson more involved in their lopsided loss to the Houston Rockets

Zion Williamson had an ineffective night against the Houston Rockets on Thursday.
Zion Williamson had an ineffective night against the Houston Rockets on Thursday.

Three shots in 22 minutes will not cut it for Zion Williamson for the New Orleans Pelicans to be successful. He had the least amount of attempts among the starters, which were led by CJ McCollum’s 13 shots. Jonas Valanciunas and Herbert Jones took more field-goal attempts than the two-time All-Star. Pelicans coach Willie Green should have given his star power forward more touches.

For most of the game, the Pelicans focused on Brandon Ingram and McCollum. After minutes of running up and down the court without touching the ball, “Zanos” looked a little listless. He was lackadaisical with his screens and was often late in rotations.

When he’s healthy, as he seems to be, Williamson is nearly unstoppable. The New Orleans Pelicans may have reached the playoffs had the former Duke superstar been available. Green has to ensure he gets his steady stream of shots for the team to succeed.

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Edited by Michael Macasero
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