Zion’s Pelicans debut now set for next week
METAIRIE, La. — Zion Williamson, the top choice in last summer’s NBA draft, is scheduled to make his regular-season debut for the Pelicans on Jan. 22 when New Orleans hosts the the San Antonio Spurs, Pelicans basketball operations chief David Griffin said Wednesday.
“Everything’s moving in the right direction,” Griffin said. “I really believe very strongly he is a radically improved physical version of himself in a way that frankly we took the extra time to ensure.”
The former Duke star has missed New Orleans’ first 41 games this season while rehabilitating from arthroscopic surgery to repair the lateral meniscus in his right knee.
The Pelicans have gone 15-26 without Williamson, but have won nine of their last 13 to pull within four games of the final Western Conference playoff spot.
The 6-foot-6, 285pound Williamson is relatively heavy for an NBA player, never mind one who moves well and often soars above the rim for the kind of dunks that have made him an internet sensation since high school in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Williamson returned to practice on Jan. 2 and more recently has been seen dunking during the Pelicans’ pregame warmup sessions.
Williamson played in four preseason games before his injury, averaging 23.3 points and 6.5 rebounds. He had surgery in mid-October.
He averaged 22.6 points per game for Duke during the 2018-19 season and was voted to the ACC’s All-Defensive Team after averaging 8.9 rebounds, 2.12 steals and 1.8 blocks per game.