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By Ricardo Sandoval
Contributing Sports Writer
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New Orleans Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson is ruled out for the season opener against the Chicago Bulls due to an illness.
NBA insider Chris Haynes shared the news via Twitter/X.
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Williamson was not present at Wednesday's morning shootaround. The 24-year-old missed Tuesday's practice, and the Pelicans officially listed him as questionable. Williamson was not feeling 100 percent, and they decided to keep him out for the first game of the season.
After their game on Wednesday against the Bulls, the Pelicans will travel cross-country Thursday afternoon in advance of Friday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Head coach Willie Green expressed optimism that his star forward will be available by then.
The two-time All-Star last played in the Pelicans loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in last year's play-in tournament. Williamson was forced to leave with a left hamstring injury and failed to return for the first round of the playoff against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
New Orleans ended their season by being swept by the Thunder.
Williamson's last game of the 2023-24 season was one to witness. He was spectacular, recording 40 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists, proving why he is the superstar player many believe that he is when he is healthy. Unfortunately for Williamson, health has been a major factor for him and his career thus far.
Williamson has superstar talent, but injuries have kept him from reaching his potential. The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft was limited to 114 appearances through his first four seasons — missing the 2021-22 campaign altogether — and he finally seemed to be turning a corner health-wise.
Last season was the healthiest of his career, logging 70 appearances and averaging 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists while shooting 57 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three while averaging 31.5 minutes.
The South Carolina native was once viewed as the future face of the league prior to his lack of playing time. At Duke University, he established himself as a dominant presence and force. Williamson won ACC Player of the Year, ACC Athlete of the Year, First-team All-ACC, ACC Rookie of the Year, ACC All-Freshman team, National College Player of the Year, Karl Malone Award winner, and Consensus First-team All-American.
Williamson's potential and talent are still there; his only worries are his health and availability. So far, it's not off to a good start, but the hope is that this is just a minor hiccup in what should be an All-Star-level season.
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