Why is Zion Williamson ruled out against Minnesota Timberwolves? Reason behind New Orleans Pelicans forward's absence explored

The New Orleans Pelicans are in action Wednesday night, but Zion Williamson will not be in the lineup. According to the latest injury report, the All-Star forward is labeled as out due to personal reasons.

Zion Williamson has dealt with injuries all throughout his career, but that is not the case now. He is out of action due to the potential birth of his first child. Over the summer, the Pelicans star and his girlfriend Ahkeema were expecting. The due date for the baby was November, which has many believing this is the personal reason he is attending to.

So far this season, Zion has been back to playing at an All-Star level. He's appeared in every game for New Orleans and putting up big numbers. In Zion's last game against the Denver Nuggets, he posted a near triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

---

Zion Williamson's absence leaves the Pelicans extremely short-handed

With Zion Williamson away from the team at the moment, they are now left extremely short-handed against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He adds to the already long list of players who are out of action.

Aside from Zion, the other big name on the injury report for the Pelicans is CJ McCollum. The star guard has been sidelined after being diagnosed with a collapsed lung over the weekend.

Along with two of their top players, Jose Alverado and Trey Murphy III are also out for Wednesday's matchup. Herb Jones might be able to suit up, but is listed as questionable.

With this long list of players on the injury report, it will be on Brandon Ingram to lead the charge without Zion next to him. He'll have the tall task of taking on one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now in the Timberwolves. Heading into this matchup, Anthony Edwards and company are riding high on a three-game win streak.

If Zion is awaiting the birth of his child, the Pelicans could be without their star forward for the coming days. He'll likely want to get situated and make sure everything goes smoothly before returning back to the team.

This is a tough blow for New Orleans, as they're already trending in the wrong direction. They've lost their last two games, one of them being to the Nuggets in a contest where they had a 20-point lead. It's on Ingram and the supporting cast to keep the group competitive while they work their way back to full strength.