“I Feel Awful for Him”: Pelicans Teammate Voices Support for Zion Williamson Amid a Rollercoaster NBA Season

Zion Williamson has had a rough rookie campaign in NBA for the most part. The number-one overall pick this year has struggled with injuries for most of the season, before debuting in late January. Zion has given the Pelicans a boost in their race for the 8th seed and was supposed to be their key focus in the bubble. However, he had to exit the bubble due to a medical emergency in his family. The Pelicans issued a statement and fully supported his decision. Zion was also struggling with foot sprains at the time of his exit, a worrying sign with his injury history.

The rookie will at least miss the first game of the bubble season, as the Pelicans look to make up for a 3.5 game deficit against the Memphis Grizzlies. His teammate, veteran guard J.J. Redick revealed the message he sent to Zion about his exit on his podcast.

“I reached out to Zion Williamson. I told him what I’ll say on the show. Basically, we’re going to do our best to hold it down for him until he gets back, whenever that is. As a teammate, he’s a family member. We’ll do our best to keep this thing rolling. But obviously, whatever is going on, we want the best for him. I feel awful for him because so much of this season has been a rollercoaster for him. It seemed like he was in such a good place. Hopefully, we get him back here soon.”

Zion Williamson And His Return to NBA

Not much is known about when Zion plans on returning. The media has given the 19-year old space while dealing with this issue. The Pelicans haven’t commented on a return timetable for the young superstar either. Zion won’t be immediately available after his return either, as the protocols have a requirement for him to spend at least four days in quarantine after returning to the bubble.

Zion has averaged 23.7 points in his 19 games this season. He has been an efficient shooter from the field (59.5%), but his three-point numbers (46.2%) are padded by a hot shooting streak in his debut against the San Antonio Spurs. He is also averaging 6.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists.