Getty Pelicans' Zion Williamson in street clothes against Warriors
Last month, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson is expected to miss a significant amount of time to start the 2019-20 season with a knee injury. Also, per Wojnarowski, the Pelicans are treating Williamson’s injury with caution to endure proper recovery time for the first-year player out of Duke University.
A severe injury has been ruled out for Zion Williamson’s right knee, but he is expected to miss period of weeks to start regular season, league sources tell ESPN. Pels are clearly treating injury with an abundance of caution but there’s no shortage of confidence on full recovery.
After the announcement on October 18, 2019, Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters he believed Williamson suffered the injury just days earlier on October 13 against the San Antonio Spurs. However, Gentry also shared Williamson was in good spirits when they discussed everything.
Alvin Gentry said he believes Zion Williamson sustained his knee injury in the Pelicans’ game against the Spurs on Oct. 13.
Alvin Gentry said he has spoken with Williamson and he is in good spirits. “He’s not dead, guys,” Gentry said with a smile.
ESPN’s Doris Burke on Which Rookie Has Caught Her Attention
Last week Doris Burke was interviewed by Fanatics View and asked which rookie has caught her eye for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award to this point.
“Boy, I have not considered a single award it’s just we are four or five games in,” said Burke.
“I just can’t wait to see how the season plays out. I’m hopeful you know; I have New Orleans a few times on my schedule a couple of times. I would very much like to see Zion play. But certainly, Kendrick Nunn doing some work down in Miami giving them some much-needed scoring punch. I tell you Pat Riley is the master of finding diamonds in the rough and turning them into something special,” Burke said.
Glen Davis & Charles Barkley Thinks Zion Williamson Needs Weight Watchers
NBA analysts continue discussing Zion Williamson’s need to hire experts, aka Weight Watchers, to help the hulking star monitor his eating and drop pounds. The Big Mound of Rebound, Charles Barkley told ESPN that he lost 50 pounds to become a Hall of Famer, and Williamson needed to lose weight to play at a high level. Last week, Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis was interviewed by TMZ Sports and was asked his opinion about Zion’s weight since the former NBA standout was almost the same size and weight as the young star.
“That’s one of the reasons why I stopped playing was because of my weight,” Glen said.
According to Basketball-Reference, Davis is listed at 6-foot-9 and 289 pounds. Meanwhile, Williamson is listed at 6-foot-7 and 285 pounds. “He has to get his weight under control. He might have to lose some muscle mass, but other that, he should be OK,” Davis said.
Gilbert Arenas Thinks Pelicans Playing Williamson out of Position
Where oh where should Williamson play? Many basketball experts have questioned the Pelicans’ decision to put Williamson at the center or the power forward position. Former Wizards great Gilbert Arenas, believes Williamson is better suited at shooting guard or small forward.
“I watched NBA summer league, and I was very disappointed in the Pelicans decision,” Arenas told me. “You started this man, who is 6’7 at the center position to give the illusion that he is going to be dominate. When I say illusion, the illusion is I have a 6’7 guard, and I’m going to play him against the center in order to beat his opponent off the dribble to get dunks. Once he starts getting dunks, everyone is going to say, yeah, Zion! But that’s not his position. His position in terms of the NBA is either the two or the three. He is pushing it at the three, but the two is his game for sure.”
Arenas also warned that playing Williamson at the wrong position could impact his entire career.
“The whole NBA is that tall and professional. It is not about your young kids coming in and it all depends on where they put him at. He could play at the power forward and be a bust, or they can put him at the shooting guard position or the three and he turns into the next G.O.A.T.,” said Arenas.
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