The New Orleans Pelicans will be without their star, Zion Williamson, on Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards due to an ankle injury. New Orleans is coming off a 121-107 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves in which Williamson exploded for 36 points, five rebounds and two assists.
Williamson played the entire game to lead the team to their 13th win. Wednesday night's game will be the fifth game he'll miss this season.
He's played 20 games this season, averaging 22.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists. Williamson started his fourth season struggling to make an impact for the Pelicans. Coach Willie Green has experimented with the former Duke standout to play a different role.
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For the 2023-24 season, Williamson is facilitating more compared to his previous two seasons. Due to this, his numbers went down a bit, and he hasn't been as aggressive as he was compared to his previous seasons.
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What happened to Zion Williamson?
Zion Williamson has sprained his left ankle. This came at an unfortunate time as the forward was getting to his rhythm on the floor.
Aside from the two-time All-Star, there are three other players for the Pelicans who will miss the game against the Wizards. Larry Nance Jr. is listed as out due to a right rib fracture. Sharpshooter Matt Ryan will also sit out as he continues to deal with a right elbow strain. Dereon Seabron won't play as he's been assigned to the G League.
The task will be upon Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum to lead the Pelicans (13-11) to another win. Their game against the Wizards (3-19) will be the first of their three-game road trip.
Zion Williamson stats against Washington Wizards
Zion Williamson has been on the sidelines for most of his young career. He missed his entire third season as he dealt with a broken foot. In the seasons he played, he dealt with various injuries.
Williamson has only played against the Wizards twice in his career. Both games happened during his second season, and he averaged 26.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 1.0 apg.
Here are his stats against Washington:
- January 27, 2021: Williamson had 32 points, two rebounds and two assists, leading the Pelicans to a 124-106 win.
- April 16, 2021: Williamson finished with 21 points, six rebounds and one block, losing to the Wizards in overtime, 117-115.
His second season has been the only one in which he played for more than 29 games.
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