Zion Williamson is inching closer to his NBA debut after a full practice with the New Orleans Pelicans. Williamson, who was taken with the first overall pick in the NBA Draft, has been sidelined since October with a torn right lateral meniscus.
While the team has ruled out Williamson for their back-to-back games against the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings this weekend, the fact that he is practicing is good news for the 6'6" phenom.
"I know that's typical, but we really do have to take it a day at a time to see what kind of progress he makes,"Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. "See what happens after he goes through practices and things like that. Like we said and will continue to say, he'll play when the time is right for him to do that. When that is, I'm not real sure of. But I know he's making progress, that's the thing that matters most."
The Pelicans are one of the worst teams in the NBA with an 11-23 record. Despite their subpar record, the Pelicans are just four games out of the eighth seed in the Western Conference. While many fans hope Williamson will return and help turn the team around, general manager David Griffin is cautious about the impact he will have when he gets back on the court. The team plans to manage his workload and will have a strict limit on the number of minutes he will play and said they would not play him in back-to-back games.