Zion Williamson’s highly anticipated debut playoff push with the New Orleans Pelicans is facing adversity. He sustained a finger injury on his shooting hand while blocking a shot just before halftime in their 117-108 loss to Orlando on Wednesday night. However, there is some relief as coach Willie Green mentioned after practice on Thursday that the injury doesn’t seem to involve structural damage. Green further noted that Williamson’s status would be listed as day-to-day on the team’s injury report ahead of Friday night’s home game against San Antonio.
“Simply slammed it against the backboard with force,” Williamson remarked post-game.
Following the injury, Williamson continued playing but took a break to get it checked in the locker room. He scored his final 15 points with a dunk in the fourth quarter but didn’t play the last seven-plus minutes of the game.
With six games remaining, the Pelicans have a tenuous hold on sixth place in the Western Conference. They began Thursday just a half0game ahead of seventh-place Sacramento. Only the top six seeds in each conference advance directly to the NBA playoffs and avoid a play-in involving teams that finish seventh through 10th.
While high-scoring wing Brandon Ingram has been out of action since March 21 due to a bone bruise in his left knee, it remains uncertain if he’ll make a comeback before the regular season concludes. Nonetheless, the Pelicans’ prospects for the final stretch appear promising as long as Williamson remains free from the health setbacks that have plagued him during much of his early NBA career.
He has participated in 65 matches this season, marking the highest number in his four-year career since being drafted from Duke University as the first overall pick in 2019. Leading the team with an average of close to 23 points per game, he appears to be in excellent physical condition, displaying agility and athleticism by sprinting down the court for alley-oop dunks and blocking shots. Despite the New Orleans Pelicans making it to the Western Conference play-in twice and the NBA playoffs once in the last two seasons, Williamson was sidelined due to injuries on both occasions.
His recent form and physical condition stand in stark contrast to the majority of his earlier NBA seasons. During his rookie year, he only appeared in 24 games due to a knee injury and other fitness issues. His third season was entirely missed due to a foot injury, and last season, he was sidelined after just 29 games because of a right hamstring strain. However, Williamson’s durability has improved significantly this season, missing only 11 games and none since February 10th, participating in 26 consecutive matches.
Williamson recently mentioned that they’re entering that phase of the season and he’s focused on reassuring his teammates of his presence and commitment, despite New Orleans’ recent string of losses against playoff-bound teams like Boston and Oklahoma City.
Williamson calmly reassured after the Orlando defeat that there’s no cause for alarm, emphasizing the importance of elevating their focus for the upcoming games.
