Rookie forward Zion Williamson will miss six-to-eight weeks after tearing the meniscus in his right knee, the New Orleans Pelicans said Monday. That means he will miss at least the first two matchups of the regular season between the Pelicans and Houston Rockets.
Williamson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft back in June. After playing one season of college basketball at Duke, the 6-foot-6, 285-pound forward averaged 23.3 points and 6.5 rebounds in 27.3 minutes per game during preseason play with the Pelicans.
The 19-year-old shot an astounding 71.4% from the field, reflecting his rare combination of power, speed, agility, and ball-handling skills.
The Pelicans play the Rockets on Saturday, Oct. 26 and Monday, Nov. 11, and Williamson will clearly miss both of those games, going by Monday’s diagnosis. The third of four meetings between the Southwest Division rivals is set for Dec. 29, which is just after the eight-week mark from Williamson’s arthroscopic surgery.
The extent of his absence may also help to whittle down the long list of Western Conference playoff contenders, with many analysts having seen the Pelicans as a playoff threat prior to the injury news.
The Rockets will tip off their 2019-20 campaign at Toyota Center this Thursday versus the Milwaukee Bucks, with the Pelicans game coming two days later as part of a three-game homestand to open the new season in Houston.
