NBA News: New Orleans Pelicans to open season without Zion Williamson

Zion Williamson, who was New Orleans Pelicans' number one draft pick for the NBA 2019-20 season, has been ruled out for major part of the season because of a knee injury. Probably the most anticipated rookie player since LeBron James, Zion Williamson will have to miss the earlier part of the regular NBA season. Pelicans will kick off their NBA season by playing the defending champions, Toronto Raptors. 

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NBA 2019-20: Zion Williamson might take up to eight weeks to recover

Pelicans recently confirmed that 19-year-old Williamson has undergone successful surgery, and will be recuperating for around six to eight weeks. The surgery was to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. New Orleans Pelicans had picked Williamson as the No.1 overall selection in this year’s NBA draft.

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Zion Williamson has also been dealing with some minor knee problems this last year. During summer league, the rookie player only lasted for eight minutes. The team had withdrawn him as a precautionary measure to avoid further harm. After a knee sprain during a game, Williamson also missed time for his college team ‘Duke’. The sprain was caused due to his sneaker falling apart. The young player, who is more than six feet tall, has garnered popularity due to his physique and athleticism along with his highlight-reel dunks. For the New Orleans Pelicans preseason games, Williamson was one of the top performers and averaged 23.3 points per game. The New Orleans Pelicans vs Toronto Raptors game is scheduled for Wednesday, October 23 (5:30 am IST). 

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