Zion Williamson’s performance in the preseason, even with all the necessary caveats about preseason basketball, managed to live up to the hype he had entering the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick this past summer. The excitement for his real NBA debut was massive, but late in the preseason it was announced he would miss time with a meniscus injury.
The initial timetable allowed for a possible return in December, but the Pelicans have been unsurprisingly cautious with him — and have spent his rehab not only getting his knee healthy but working on the mechanics of how he walks and runs to try and prevent future injury issues. The good news is he is nearing a return to the court, as evidenced by Thursday being the first time he’s participated in a full Pelicans practice, as announced by coach Alvin Gentry.
He won’t play on this upcoming road trip. https://t.co/0JYSUc3Cfr
— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) January 2, 2020
Williamson won’t play on the Pelicans upcoming road trip to California which has games against the Lakers and Kings, but the home stretch against the Jazz and Bulls to start next week may be a good opportunity. After that, the Pelicans go to New York to play the Knicks — which was the preseason game Williamson missed when the injury first occurred — and if he is back on the floor for that it will surely be quite the spectacle.
Whatever the case, basketball fans will be thrilled to have Williamson back in our lives soon. He is as unique a player as there is in the league, and while there will undoubtedly be some rust to knock off, he will surely make a few plays that will inspire awe.
