Williamson had to limit himself to just 85 games in three NBA seasons because he was suffering from several injuries. A fractured career was the injury that affected him the most and wiped out his complete 2021-22 campaign. Williamson has proved his talent and averaged 25.7 points on 60.4% shooting in his career. Owing to his top-notch performance, he is the No.1 pick-out for Duke.
William, along with his fellow draftees, including Memphis’ Ja Morant and Cleveland’s Darius Garland, has had an extension in their contract with their clubs. Without Williamson, the club still won two play-in tournament games with a team led by the high scorer Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, and Jonas Valaciunas. They were helped by some other great players who trained under Willie Green and developed great skills.
William’s Performance And Injury
A season earlier, Williamson had a team-high average of 27 points, which made him a first-time-all-star. However, his NBA campaign was mostly affected by injuries, so he had to restrict his play. He could play as a rookie in just 24 games due to his right knee injury. The player was able to accompany his teammates in 61 out of 72 games in his second season.
In 2021, he hurt his foot while practicing basketball drills with his stepfather, whom he trusts for his offseason training. The injury wasn’t revealed by the Pelicans until the first day of training camp, which was held in September. They reported that they hope the player will be ready to play as a season-opener by Oct 20th. Williamson optimistically agreed to it in hopes of feeling better by then. However, his wound didn’t heal up in time, and he had to miss the complete season and playoffs.
Williamson then chose to stay away from New Orleans and the Pelicans most of the season. He preferred to rehabilitate in Oregon, where Nike, his shoe sponsor, is based. During this time, few updates were provided on Williamson from the Pelicans. The mention was especially missing from promotional material during the 2022-23 season. When the season finally ended, Williamson announced that if New Orleans would offer an extension, he would gladly accept it.
He was recently cleared to participate in basketball activities without any restriction. So, it was the perfect time for a new beginning. Without Williamson, the Pelicans were not doing well either, with a score of 1-12 in their last season, but they still managed to get to the Western Conference playoff berth.
The Pelicans were starting to improve even before McCollum from Portland joined them two days before the NBA trade deadline. However, he did help the Pelicans in the rest of the season with a home play-in game. The Pelicans defeated 10th-seeded San Antonio and then won a play-in game over the Clippers in Los Angeles. This is how they managed to qualify for the first round of the playoffs against Phoenix. Zion Williamson will be a part of New Orleans as he has signed a five-year contract worth $193 million with a maximum rookie extension with the Pelicans.
