Zion Williamson Out for Pelicans vs. Anthony Edwards, T-Wolves with Back Injury
New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson will miss Friday night's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a low back contusion, the team announced.
The 24-year-old has been limited to 30 appearances this season. A hamstring strain caused him to miss nearly two months of action, and New Orleans has been judicious about his workload since his return to the court.
When he has played, Williamson continues to remind fans of his incredible talent. He's averaging 24.6 points on 56.7 percent shooting along with 7.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
In general, this year has been Murphy's Law in action for the Pelicans. Each of their key players has missed extended stretches.
Beyond Williamson, Brandon Ingram suffered an ankle sprain on Dec. 7, which kept him out of the lineup leading up to his trade to the Toronto Raptors ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Herb Jones has injured his right shoulder on two different occasions. Dejounte Murray tore his Achilles tendon in February. Trey Murphy III recently suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.
The Pelicans were effectively out of the playoff race when they decided to move on from Ingram. His exit, which came days after Murray was lost for the season, indicated the franchise was effectively packing it in for 2024-25.
From that perspective, another injury to Williamson doesn't have much significance in the short term for the Pels.
In the bigger picture, though, it's less than ideal when the franchise cornerstone can't stay healthy.
