The New Orleans Pelicans will have to try and secure a playoff berth without their star Zion Williamson. The Pelicans announced on Wednesday that Williamson is dealing with a hamstring injury and will miss the Play-In game against the Sacramento Kings.

Williamson was hurt with less than four minutes remaining in the Play-In game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. At that point, Williamson scored 40 points and added 10 rebounds, helping the Pels tie the score.

However, after Williamson went down, the Pelicans didn’t have enough firepower to complete the comeback and suffered a 106-110 loss. They can still make it to the postseason as the eighth seed if they manage to get a win against the Kings on Friday.

Even if New Orleans clinches a playoff spot, they won’t have Williamson at their disposal, considering he is ruled out for at least two weeks.

Injuries have been a recurring story for Williamson since he entered the league as the No. 1 overall selection in 2019. He played only 114 games in his first four years, a stretch that saw him miss the 2021-22 season completely.

However, when available, Williamson has played at a star level. This season, he appeared in 70 games, his career high, while averaging 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game.

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In recent years, the NBA Slam Dunk Contest has been largely devoid of star players. New Orleans Pelicans’ Zion Williamson is open to changing that, but only as an All-Star. 

Williamson, who is viewed as one of the most ferocious dunkers in the league, was asked by reporters earlier this week whether he would be open to participating in the dunk contest.

“If I’m in the All-Star Game, I’ll do the dunk contest,” Williamson said after a 139-98 win over the Toronto Raptors. “But if I’m not, I’m not doing it.”

Williamson has two All-Star selections since entering the league as the first overall selection in 2019. His most recent All-Star nod came in 2022–23, but he was unable to participate in the All-Star Weekend activities due to a hamstring injury.

Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown was the only player to take part in the 2024 NBA Slam Dunk Contest while also being named an All-Star. Brown finished second to defending Slam Dunk champion Mac McClung.

“I think, ultimately, in this media era, some players are just afraid to get turned into a meme or whatever,” Brown said after. “I wanted to come out and have fun within it, and that’s what I did.”

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The New Orleans Pelicans gave their All-Star forward Zion Williamson a five-year, $193 million max rookie extension in 2022 despite him only playing 85 games up to that point. However, it turns out that the franchise protected itself in case Williamson can’t stay healthy enough to justify his huge salary.

In a recent piece published on The Athletic, Mike Vorkunov shared previously unknown details about Williamson’s contract with the Pelicans and revealed that the 23-year-old player lost the guarantees for the final three years of the deal.

As it turns out, the extension stipulated that Williamson can’t miss more than 22 games in the 2022-23 season in order to keep the guarantees. He ended up playing only 29 games due to a hamstring injury, falling way short of the mark.

This means that the Pelicans would be able to move on from Williamson after the 2024-25 season without any consequences. The chances of that seem to be slim, considering that Williamson is a generational talent, but it does protect the team from the worst-case scenario.

Vorkunov adds that there are ways for Williamson to get back some of the lost guarantees by playing enough games and keeping his weight under control.

Williamson played 23 games in 2023-24 and is averaging 22.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.6 steals per game.   

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The New Orleans Pelicans must continue their playoffs push without All-Star forward Zion Williamson. The team issued an update on Williamson on Wednesday, revealing that the player will miss at least two more weeks while rehabbing from a hamstring injury.

According to the Pelicans, Williamson’s medical imaging during a recent re-evaluation showed that the hamstring “continues to heal.” The team plans to examine the 22-year-old player again in two weeks.

Williamson injured his hamstring in early January, and the team was initially optimistic that he wouldn’t be out for long. However, a setback in February pushed back his return to court. Williamson played only 29 games in 2022-23, averaging 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists.

While it’s unclear whether Williamson will be able to return before the regular season ends, New Orleans’ head coach Willie Green said on Wednesday that he is hoping for the best.

“We’re definitely optimistic about that,” said Green.

The Pelicans have lost seven of their last 10 games, causing them to slide to No. 10 in Western Conference and be in danger of dropping out of the Play-In tournament spot. However, the good news for New Orleans is that the playoff race in the West remains crowded, with only three games separating the Utah Jazz at No. 13 and the Dallas Mavericks at No. 5.

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The New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson left his team’s 120-111 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers early on Monday night after picking up a hamstring strain in the third quarter.

Following a defensive rebound off a shot from Joel Embiid, Williamson dribbled the ball upcourt and palmed it off to teammate Dyson Daniels when he began clutching at his right leg.

“It was right at a pivotal moment in the game,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said of Williamson’s injury. “We’ll get some imaging and look at him and hopefully he’s OK. It was a tough loss for us.” Williamson scored 26 points, seven assists, and six rebounds on 10-of-12 shooting when he picked up his hamstring injury.

So far, Williamson has featured in 29 of the Pelicans’ 37 games this season. He missed three games because of a right foot contusion, another three games because of health and safety protocols, and two games because of a lower back/right hip contusion.

The Pelicans are currently third in the Western Conference standings.

The post Zion Williamson Exits Pelicans’ Loss With Hamstring Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson will have to remain slim if he wants to keep all of the money from his five-year, $193 million max extension. According to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, Williamson’s deal came with a weight clause that could affect the deal’s guarantee money if breached.

Reportedly, the clause stipulates that Williamson will have occasional weigh-ins that will allow the Pelicans to monitor his weight. The “sum of his weight and body fat percentage” has to be below 295 according to the clause, or the amount of guaranteed money in the extension can be reduced.

Williamson has struggled with weight issues since arriving in the NBA as the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. This was especially the case during his injury rehabs when his weight ballooned well over 300 pounds. The Pelicans reportedly believe Williamson’s larger frame is making him more injury prone, and this clause is probably one of their attempts to encourage him to be slimmer.

Injuries have limited Zion Williamson to just 85 games in the past three seasons. However, when he was on the court, he showed why he might be one of the game’s next big stars. In 2020-21, in which he played 61 games, Williamson averaged an impressive 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.

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Zion Williamson signed a five-year, $193 million designated maximum rookie extension with the New Orleans Pelicans, CAA Sports co-head of basketball Austin Brown reported. This deal could earn Williamson as much as $231 million. The earning potential of the Pelicans’ star will be determined by whether or not he wins the MVP or Defensive Player of the Year awards next season, as well as his inclusion in the All-NBA team.

The overall number one pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Williamson averaged 22.5 points per game and shot 58.3% overall in his rookie season. These impressive stats saw him named only the second rookie in NBA history to average more than 20 points a game while shooting at least 55% in his inaugural season. Widely viewed as a generational talent, Williamson was ruled out of action for the entirety of the 2021-22 season due to a broken right foot.

In May, Williamson was cleared for action by the Pelicans and has since been joining the rest of the team for training without restrictions. Joined by CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram, the youngster looks poised to help the Pelicans challenge for the Western Conference this season. The Pelicans ended last season in 11th position, narrowly missing out on a play-in berth.

The post Zion Wiliamson Agrees To Maximum Rookie Extension With Pelicans appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans have issued an update about the status of their young star forward Zion Williamson. According to the announcement made by the team earlier this week, Williamson “has been cleared in his return to play progression without any restrictions.”

The Pelicans added that the test on Williamson’s right foot showed “continued improvement.” The former first overall pick missed all of the 2021-22 campaign after undergoing surgery to address a foot fracture he suffered during one workout.

Now that Williamson is cleared to return, the expectation is that he’ll be a full participant in the team’s offseason activities and training camp. If this turns out to be the case and the Duke product avoids further setbacks, New Orleans will probably target to start playing him as soon as the 2022-23 NBA season tips off.

When Zion Williamson entered the league in 2019, he was expected to be the face of the Pelicans and future NBA star. Unfortunately, the injuries have prevented him from meeting expectations so far, although there is no doubt he possesses an immense talent. Williamson played 85 games as a pro, averaging 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. He also has an NBA All-Star nod from 2021.

The post Pelicans Clear Zion Williamson for Return “Without Any Restrictions” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans won’t have their franchise star Zion Williamson on the floor once they open the 2021-22 NBA season. This was confirmed by the team’s vice president of basketball operations David Griffin, who told reporters earlier this week that Williamson is still recovering from the foot surgery he underwent in the offseason.

According to Griffin, Williamson’s recent test results were encouraging, but the team doesn’t want to rush him back until he is fully healthy. The 21-year-old star will be re-evaluated in two weeks from now, and the Pelicans expect to have more information then.

“It’s everyone’s goal that Zion return to play as soon as safely possible,” Griffin said. “Obviously, two to 2½ weeks from now means he will not be on the floor for the first week of games. When he is able to return safely, we will do that.”

Williamson underwent the surgery in August after breaking his foot during one of the summer practices. The Pelicans, however, waited until late September to make the news public.

It makes sense for New Orleans to be careful with Zion Williamson, considering he already had one major injury in his short NBA career. Williamson tore his meniscus two years ago, and the injury limited him to only 24 games in his rookie year.

Williamson was injury-free last season, and he immediately showed why he was the first overall pick in 2019. The Duke product had a stellar sophomore campaign in which he averaged 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists per game, and earned an All-Star nod.

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New Orleans Pelicans’ rookie Zion Williamson has left the NBA’s bubble in Orlando on Thursday morning. According to reports, Williamson is dealing with “an urgent family medical matter.”

Williamson’s exit is temporary, however, and he intends to re-join his teammates at a later date and play for Pelicans once the NBA season resumes.

“We fully support Zion’s decision to leave the NBA campus to be with his family,” said Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin in a team-released statement. “Out of respect for the Williamson family, we will have no further comment at this time.”

Upon his return, Zion Williamson will require to spent time in quarantine according to NBA’s health and safety protocols. If Williamson gets tested on a daily basis while away, he will be required to spend from two to four days in isolation. If not, he’ll have to quarantine up to 10 days.

Having Williamson is crucial for Pelicans if the team intends to make a run for playoffs this year. New Orleans is currently sitting 3.5 games behind No.8 seeded Memphis Grizzlies and have eight regular-season games to make up the difference.

Williamson, who was No.1 overall pick in 2019 NBA Draft, averaged 23.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in 19 games he played this season.

The post Pelicans’ Zion Williamson Out of NBA Bubble, Will Re-Join the Team at a Later Date appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans will have to try and secure a playoff berth without their star Zion Williamson. The Pelicans announced on Wednesday that Williamson is dealing with a hamstring injury and will miss the Play-In game against the Sacramento Kings.

Williamson was hurt with less than four minutes remaining in the Play-In game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. At that point, Williamson scored 40 points and added 10 rebounds, helping the Pels tie the score.

However, after Williamson went down, the Pelicans didn’t have enough firepower to complete the comeback and suffered a 106-110 loss. They can still make it to the postseason as the eighth seed if they manage to get a win against the Kings on Friday.

Even if New Orleans clinches a playoff spot, they won’t have Williamson at their disposal, considering he is ruled out for at least two weeks.

Injuries have been a recurring story for Williamson since he entered the league as the No. 1 overall selection in 2019. He played only 114 games in his first four years, a stretch that saw him miss the 2021-22 season completely.

However, when available, Williamson has played at a star level. This season, he appeared in 70 games, his career high, while averaging 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game.

The post Pelicans’ Zion Williamson Diagnosed With Hamstring Injury, Will Miss Play-In Game vs. Kings appeared first on SportzBonanza.

In recent years, the NBA Slam Dunk Contest has been largely devoid of star players. New Orleans Pelicans’ Zion Williamson is open to changing that, but only as an All-Star. 

Williamson, who is viewed as one of the most ferocious dunkers in the league, was asked by reporters earlier this week whether he would be open to participating in the dunk contest.

“If I’m in the All-Star Game, I’ll do the dunk contest,” Williamson said after a 139-98 win over the Toronto Raptors. “But if I’m not, I’m not doing it.”

Williamson has two All-Star selections since entering the league as the first overall selection in 2019. His most recent All-Star nod came in 2022–23, but he was unable to participate in the All-Star Weekend activities due to a hamstring injury.

Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown was the only player to take part in the 2024 NBA Slam Dunk Contest while also being named an All-Star. Brown finished second to defending Slam Dunk champion Mac McClung.

“I think, ultimately, in this media era, some players are just afraid to get turned into a meme or whatever,” Brown said after. “I wanted to come out and have fun within it, and that’s what I did.”

The post Zion Williamson Says He’ll Participate in NBA Slam Dunk Contest if He Receives an All-Star Nod appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans gave their All-Star forward Zion Williamson a five-year, $193 million max rookie extension in 2022 despite him only playing 85 games up to that point. However, it turns out that the franchise protected itself in case Williamson can’t stay healthy enough to justify his huge salary.

In a recent piece published on The Athletic, Mike Vorkunov shared previously unknown details about Williamson’s contract with the Pelicans and revealed that the 23-year-old player lost the guarantees for the final three years of the deal.

As it turns out, the extension stipulated that Williamson can’t miss more than 22 games in the 2022-23 season in order to keep the guarantees. He ended up playing only 29 games due to a hamstring injury, falling way short of the mark.

This means that the Pelicans would be able to move on from Williamson after the 2024-25 season without any consequences. The chances of that seem to be slim, considering that Williamson is a generational talent, but it does protect the team from the worst-case scenario.

Vorkunov adds that there are ways for Williamson to get back some of the lost guarantees by playing enough games and keeping his weight under control.

Williamson played 23 games in 2023-24 and is averaging 22.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.6 steals per game.   

The post Zion Williamson Loses Guarantees for Final 3 Years of His Contract With the Pelicans appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans must continue their playoffs push without All-Star forward Zion Williamson. The team issued an update on Williamson on Wednesday, revealing that the player will miss at least two more weeks while rehabbing from a hamstring injury.

According to the Pelicans, Williamson’s medical imaging during a recent re-evaluation showed that the hamstring “continues to heal.” The team plans to examine the 22-year-old player again in two weeks.

Williamson injured his hamstring in early January, and the team was initially optimistic that he wouldn’t be out for long. However, a setback in February pushed back his return to court. Williamson played only 29 games in 2022-23, averaging 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists.

While it’s unclear whether Williamson will be able to return before the regular season ends, New Orleans’ head coach Willie Green said on Wednesday that he is hoping for the best.

“We’re definitely optimistic about that,” said Green.

The Pelicans have lost seven of their last 10 games, causing them to slide to No. 10 in Western Conference and be in danger of dropping out of the Play-In tournament spot. However, the good news for New Orleans is that the playoff race in the West remains crowded, with only three games separating the Utah Jazz at No. 13 and the Dallas Mavericks at No. 5.

The post Pelicans Say All-Star Zion Williamson Will Be Out for at Least 2 More Weeks appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson left his team’s 120-111 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers early on Monday night after picking up a hamstring strain in the third quarter.

Following a defensive rebound off a shot from Joel Embiid, Williamson dribbled the ball upcourt and palmed it off to teammate Dyson Daniels when he began clutching at his right leg.

“It was right at a pivotal moment in the game,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said of Williamson’s injury. “We’ll get some imaging and look at him and hopefully he’s OK. It was a tough loss for us.” Williamson scored 26 points, seven assists, and six rebounds on 10-of-12 shooting when he picked up his hamstring injury.

So far, Williamson has featured in 29 of the Pelicans’ 37 games this season. He missed three games because of a right foot contusion, another three games because of health and safety protocols, and two games because of a lower back/right hip contusion.

The Pelicans are currently third in the Western Conference standings.

The post Zion Williamson Exits Pelicans’ Loss With Hamstring Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson will have to remain slim if he wants to keep all of the money from his five-year, $193 million max extension. According to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, Williamson’s deal came with a weight clause that could affect the deal’s guarantee money if breached.

Reportedly, the clause stipulates that Williamson will have occasional weigh-ins that will allow the Pelicans to monitor his weight. The “sum of his weight and body fat percentage” has to be below 295 according to the clause, or the amount of guaranteed money in the extension can be reduced.

Williamson has struggled with weight issues since arriving in the NBA as the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. This was especially the case during his injury rehabs when his weight ballooned well over 300 pounds. The Pelicans reportedly believe Williamson’s larger frame is making him more injury prone, and this clause is probably one of their attempts to encourage him to be slimmer.

Injuries have limited Zion Williamson to just 85 games in the past three seasons. However, when he was on the court, he showed why he might be one of the game’s next big stars. In 2020-21, in which he played 61 games, Williamson averaged an impressive 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.

The post Zion Williamson Has a Weight Clause in His Max Extension With Pelicans appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Zion Williamson signed a five-year, $193 million designated maximum rookie extension with the New Orleans Pelicans, CAA Sports co-head of basketball Austin Brown reported. This deal could earn Williamson as much as $231 million. The earning potential of the Pelicans’ star will be determined by whether or not he wins the MVP or Defensive Player of the Year awards next season, as well as his inclusion in the All-NBA team.

The overall number one pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Williamson averaged 22.5 points per game and shot 58.3% overall in his rookie season. These impressive stats saw him named only the second rookie in NBA history to average more than 20 points a game while shooting at least 55% in his inaugural season. Widely viewed as a generational talent, Williamson was ruled out of action for the entirety of the 2021-22 season due to a broken right foot.

In May, Williamson was cleared for action by the Pelicans and has since been joining the rest of the team for training without restrictions. Joined by CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram, the youngster looks poised to help the Pelicans challenge for the Western Conference this season. The Pelicans ended last season in 11th position, narrowly missing out on a play-in berth.

The post Zion Wiliamson Agrees To Maximum Rookie Extension With Pelicans appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans have issued an update about the status of their young star forward Zion Williamson. According to the announcement made by the team earlier this week, Williamson “has been cleared in his return to play progression without any restrictions.”

The Pelicans added that the test on Williamson’s right foot showed “continued improvement.” The former first overall pick missed all of the 2021-22 campaign after undergoing surgery to address a foot fracture he suffered during one workout.

Now that Williamson is cleared to return, the expectation is that he’ll be a full participant in the team’s offseason activities and training camp. If this turns out to be the case and the Duke product avoids further setbacks, New Orleans will probably target to start playing him as soon as the 2022-23 NBA season tips off.

When Zion Williamson entered the league in 2019, he was expected to be the face of the Pelicans and future NBA star. Unfortunately, the injuries have prevented him from meeting expectations so far, although there is no doubt he possesses an immense talent. Williamson played 85 games as a pro, averaging 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. He also has an NBA All-Star nod from 2021.

The post Pelicans Clear Zion Williamson for Return “Without Any Restrictions” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Orleans Pelicans won’t have their franchise star Zion Williamson on the floor once they open the 2021-22 NBA season. This was confirmed by the team’s vice president of basketball operations David Griffin, who told reporters earlier this week that Williamson is still recovering from the foot surgery he underwent in the offseason.

According to Griffin, Williamson’s recent test results were encouraging, but the team doesn’t want to rush him back until he is fully healthy. The 21-year-old star will be re-evaluated in two weeks from now, and the Pelicans expect to have more information then.

“It’s everyone’s goal that Zion return to play as soon as safely possible,” Griffin said. “Obviously, two to 2½ weeks from now means he will not be on the floor for the first week of games. When he is able to return safely, we will do that.”

Williamson underwent the surgery in August after breaking his foot during one of the summer practices. The Pelicans, however, waited until late September to make the news public.

It makes sense for New Orleans to be careful with Zion Williamson, considering he already had one major injury in his short NBA career. Williamson tore his meniscus two years ago, and the injury limited him to only 24 games in his rookie year.

Williamson was injury-free last season, and he immediately showed why he was the first overall pick in 2019. The Duke product had a stellar sophomore campaign in which he averaged 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists per game, and earned an All-Star nod.

The post Pelicans to Start Season Without Zion Williamson appeared first on SportzBonanza.

New Orleans Pelicans’ rookie Zion Williamson has left the NBA’s bubble in Orlando on Thursday morning. According to reports, Williamson is dealing with “an urgent family medical matter.”

Williamson’s exit is temporary, however, and he intends to re-join his teammates at a later date and play for Pelicans once the NBA season resumes.

“We fully support Zion’s decision to leave the NBA campus to be with his family,” said Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin in a team-released statement. “Out of respect for the Williamson family, we will have no further comment at this time.”

Upon his return, Zion Williamson will require to spent time in quarantine according to NBA’s health and safety protocols. If Williamson gets tested on a daily basis while away, he will be required to spend from two to four days in isolation. If not, he’ll have to quarantine up to 10 days.

Having Williamson is crucial for Pelicans if the team intends to make a run for playoffs this year. New Orleans is currently sitting 3.5 games behind No.8 seeded Memphis Grizzlies and have eight regular-season games to make up the difference.

Williamson, who was No.1 overall pick in 2019 NBA Draft, averaged 23.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in 19 games he played this season.

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