A major question facing the New Orleans Pelicans is the status of superstar rookie Zion Williamson. The No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft had to leave the NBA’s bubble league in Orlando to tend to a family matter, and while he was able to return to the bubble on Friday night, it was unclear how long he would need to quarantine before he’s able to interact with his team.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, we have our answer, and it’s the best-case scenario for the Pelicans. Williamson, who was receiving daily COVID-19 tests while he was away from the team, is expected to get the all-clear before New Orleans takes the floor against the Utah Jazz on Thursday night in the bubble league’s opening game.
Pelicans forward Zion Williamson will have a four-day quarantine that began on Friday night, NBA says. He is set to be cleared to rejoin Pelicans ahead of Thursday’s opener against Utah.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 25, 2020
The Pelicans currently sit 2.5 games behind the 8-seed, which is held by the Memphis Grizzlies, but have a much easy schedule throughout their time in the bubble. At a time when every single game matters, losing Williamson for even one game could end up being a gigantic loss, but fortunately, that may not end up being the case.
The NBA’s Disney bubble league tips off on Thursday night, when the Pelicans and Jazz will square off at 6:30 p.m. on TNT. That game will be followed by a tilt between the two Los Angeles squads.
