Pelicans star Zion Williamson is dealing with a bone contusion in his left foot and will miss Monday’s contest vs. Boston, head coach Willie Green told reporters, including Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Williamson has been hampered by a variety of injuries over the course of his NBA career, having played just 214 regular season games through six years in the league. This is the start of his seventh season.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft, Williamson has averaged 27.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 4.0 steals through two games (35.0 MPG). New Orleans lost both contests by a combined 10 points, but were plus-six in Williamson’s minutes.
Considering he was questionable earlier on Monday, it seems likely that Williamson’s foot issue will be a short-term injury. Still, it’s at least mildly concerning that he’s already missing a game.
Here’s more from New Orleans:
- On a more positive note, second-year big man Karlo Matkovic will be active for tonight’s game after missing the first two contests of the season due to lower back spasms (Twitter link). 2024 first-round pick Yves Missi (right ankle spain) will also return to action following a one-game absence.
- DeAndre Jordan‘s contract is fully guaranteed, a league source tells Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). The veteran center, who spent the past two seasons with Denver, signed a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal with New Orleans on Friday. Jordan, 37, will earn a prorated minimum salary of $3,592,381, with the Pelicans taking on a cap hit of $2,269,880.
- According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), the Birmingam Squadron — the Pelicans’ G League affiliate — have added Jaden Springer to its roster. The 23-year-old guard made New Orleans’ regular season roster, but was waived to make room for Jordan.