Pelicans' Zion Williamson Day-to-Day with Finger Injury; X-Rays Negative

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green said star Zion Williamson is considered day-to-day after suffering a contusion on his left middle finger during Wednesday's loss to the Orlando Magic, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN.

X-rays were negative, and scans showed no further injury.

Injuries were a dominant theme at the beginning of Williamson's career. He logged a total of 114 appearances through his first four years.

The concerns weren't limited to his durability, either, with his conditioning a regular storyline as well.

Thankfully for New Orleans, the focus with the 23-year-old in 2023-24 has largely been limited what he's doing on the court. Through 65 games, he's averaging 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists, and he's shooting 58.1 percent from the floor.

That has helped the Pels build a 45-31 record, which is good for seventh in the tightly packed Western Conference.

Due to the aforementioned injuries in previous seasons, New Orleans is careful about managing Williamson's workload, which is why he has missed a game at a time here and there.

Granted, those absences can begin to add up and have a serious cost when the margins between finishing somewhere in the top six and slipping into the play-in tournament will be slim.