The NBA season kicks off in less than a week, and the New Orleans Pelicans will be missing one of their star players for the start of the year.
Pelicans general manager David Griffin said to ESPN’s Andrew Lopez on Thursday that All-Star forward Zion Williamson would miss the first few weeks of the NBA season.
Griffin also said that there is currently no timetable for a potential Williamson return but will be re-evaluated in two to two and a half weeks.
Williamson’s foot injury was one acquired during the offseason, Griffin said on media day.
Williamson’s absence will be a big blow to the Pelicans, as his production will be difficult to replace. Last season, in just his second season in the NBA, Williamson averaged a monstrous 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game on his way to being named an All-Star.
The Pelicans will need veterans like Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas to fill in the gaps and will need a younger player like Kira Lewis Jr. or Nickeil Alexander-Walker to take a step up.
New Orleans will officially begin its season on Wednesday, Oct. 20, at home against the Philadelphia 76ers. Using Griffin’s window of two to two and a half weeks, the earliest Williamson could return is sometime in the next five to seven games, assuming his re-evaluation goes well and he’s cleared to play, but he’s likely to miss more time than that.
