The Pelicans’ season just keeps getting worse. With seven regular season games remaining and only 21 wins in the bag, they are already out of playoff contention. A major reason behind their awful campaign has been their constant injury woes. And their misery continues as high flyer Zion Williamson becomes the latest victim of this problem.

Turns out, Williamson has been shut down for the remainder of the season. Reason? A bone contusion in his lower back that he suffered during the Wolves clash on March 19. He had missed five straight games since and will sit out the remaining seven as well. Of course, that is a huge blow for the Pels because Zion has been incredible when healthy, averaging 24.6 points and over seven rebounds.

WHEN HEALTHY.

The problem is—the 24-year-old is not healthy very often. This season alone, he was limited to playing only thirty games due to constant injury woes. This is the third time in his young career that Zion will finish a season playing thirty or fewer games. Moreover, he missed the entire 2021-22 season after breaking the fifth metatarsal in his right foot during offseason workout.

Before this season began, the Pels were hopeful about Zion staying available for the entire year because he was in incredible shape, having lost 25 pounds since the previous year. He had reportedly dropped to 281 pounds, four pounds lighter than what he weighed during his time at Duke.

But the expectations shattered yet again as Zion was constantly in and out of the lineup due to hamstring and other issues. Sure, his talent is undeniable, as he averages 24.7 points for his career. But it’s of no use for the Pelicans if Williamson cannot stay healthy for an entire season. Moreover, their problems don’t end with him!

Injury concerns worsen for Pelicans as another star joins Zion Williamson in unfortunate announcement

Along with Zion, the New Orleans team is shutting down another key star for the remaining seven games—CJ McCollum. Yes, the veteran guard has missed the last three games due to right foot contusion that he suffered on March 23 against the Pistons. And he will take the rest of the season off to manage the injury. Well, CJ had an incredible individual year, averaging 21.1 points and over four assists.

Of course, the Zion and McCollum announcements only add to the Pelicans’ injury woes. Before that, they were already missing stars like Dejounte Murray (Achilles) and Trey Murphy III (shoulder) due to season ending injuries.

With no shot at making the playoffs, the team’s focus now would be on winning the lottery and bagging the first pick in this year’s draft. As per Tankathon, they are ranked fourth in the league with 12.5% chances of winning the lottery. Three teams are tied for the first spot with 14% chances—Jazz, Wizards, and Hornets. But things could change in the remaining seven games. Do you think the Pels will land the first pick following the Zion and CJ update?