Jay Williams doesn't think Zion is ready to be back on the court despite his dunks before the game. (1:32) The Thomas and Mack Center is in Las Vegas. The debut of Zion was here on July 5, 2019. Fans were eager to see the main event, which was the New Orleans Pelicans taking on the New York Knicks and their former Duke teammate. It didn't take long for Zion to show off his NBA potential. The guard missed a floater in the lane with a little less than five minutes left in the first quarter. Mitchell Robinson popped the ball into the air and into the arms of teammate Kevin Knox. As he was trying to protect the ball, he was forced to bring the ball back as he was flashed in front of. There was only one problem for Knox, and that was that Williamson was still there. As he saw the ball, he took his chance. Knox fell to the ground, looking for a call that never came, after Williamson grabbed the ball away from him. Robinson realized that a block attempt was futile. He slammed it home after taking one dribble. He flexed with one arm as he backed away from the goal. In the second quarter, he played less than three minutes. The team announced at halftime that he had suffered a bruised left knee and would be out for the rest of the summer league. A 7.1-magnitude earthquake halted play in the fourth quarter before the team could close out their lead. The game was stopped. His stint on the court was short-lived as a result of his career. The Summer of Zion was stopped before it began. He has played just 85 games in three seasons, dealing with a series of injuries that each came with their own series of vague updates from the organization. Several updates have been offered by the Pelicans. The team has not given an official timetable for his return from the foot surgery that kept him out all season. He is out indefinitely for Friday night's play-in game against the LA Clippers, with the winner going to the playoffs. That lack of clarity has become a hallmark of New Orleans' time in the city, which has been dotted with highlights but clouded by questions about his health, his dedication to the organization and whether the team and its star player will ever be on the same page. More than 10,000 fans attended the intersquad scrimmage at the Smoothie King Center, according to officials. It was the first time that he was seen in New Orleans. In his preseason debut against the Atlanta Hawks, Williamson finished with 16 points and seven boards on 6-of-13 shooting. In his second preseason game, he goes 12-of-13 from the floor and finishes with 29 points in 27 minutes against the Chicago Bulls. In his fourth preseason game, Williamson had a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebound against the San Antonio Spurs. Zion says he respects Rudy Gobert and hopes he can keep converting on 3-point attempts. New Orleans traveled to New York to play the Knicks in the final game of the preseason, but as they were leaving, New Orleans's guard had to stay behind to have his knee looked at. Further updates will be forthcoming when available in what would become a recurring theme. The team gave an update just over a day before the season opener against the Raptors. Zion Williamson underwent successful surgery today to repair a torn right meniscus. The debridement was performed by two doctors. The timetable for his full return to play is six to eight weeks. The New Orleans dropped seven of its first eight games. Light walk-throughs and spot shooting are included in the on-court work that is returned to after six weeks after surgery. He would have made his debut if it were up to him, but he trusts the organization in its decision. January 2, 2020: Williamson returns to full practice. The first time since the preseason, Williamson participates in 5-on-5 work. A little over 13 weeks after his surgery, he will make his debut for the New Orleans Pelicans against the San Antonio Spurs. On January 22, 2020, Zion Williamson made his NBA debut and went on a late surge, scoring 17 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter and stirring the crowd into a frenzy. The Smoothie King Center had an electric vibe. The atmosphere was playoff-like, with red T-shirts on every chair and 165 media members. He smiled for the cameras and joked around with his teammates. He was set to make his NBA debut after a three-month delay. He wouldn't play a normal minutes load, but instead play in what the team dubbed "bursts". The first burst was brief. He had one missed shot and one assist. His first NBA points came from his second burst. Nickeil Alexander-Walker had a short fadeaway, but he was able to get the rebound. He snuck the ball in for his first field goal. Through three quarters, he had five points, four turnovers and four boards. Then came the takeover. His playmaking was the first thing that came to mind. With the Pelicans trailing 97-87 and just under 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Williamson picked up assists on back-to-back plays, first to Josh Hart and then to E-Twaun Moore. The roof almost blew off. On Monday through Friday, host Pablo Torre brings you an inside look at the most interesting stories at ESPN, as told by the top reporters and Insiders on the planet. Listen. The Spurs were up 99-94 when Williamson hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key. The next time he was down, he caught a ball over DeMar and finished with a left-handed layup. The latest burst was supposed to be over. Nicolo Melli walked to the table to check in, and as he did, Williamson hit another 3-pointer from the top of the key. The Smoothie King Center was loud. After missing a layup and getting his own rebound, he put it back in to cut the lead to three. Another 3-pointer. Melli was called back from the table by the head coach. Favors walked to the table. He walked back to the bench. LaMarcus Aldridge tied the game with a basket on the left wing, but the Pelicans got a 3-pointer from Zion Williamson to take a one-point lead. The unstoppable force that many had thought he would be, became a reality in a 186-second span. But with 5:23 to go, he was done. He was checked out of the game because the medical people said that was it. In the team's first victory with him on the court, a win against the Boston Celtics, Williamson recorded his first career double-double with 21 points and 11 rebound. February 8, 2020: Williamson misses a game against the Pacers because of an ankle injury. On Feb. 11, 2020, he scored 31 points in a win against the Portland Trail Blazers. He scored 32 points in a loss to Oklahoma City before the All-Star break. In a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis, Zion Williamson put up a season-high 35 points. Zion admits his 15 minutes of action against the Jazz was a little frustrating, but he is happy to have the chance to play in the NBA restart. The Popeyes were 3 games back of the eighth seed in the Western Conference when the season began. The franchise was optimistic that they could make a push for the playoffs through the new play-in tournament. The top eight teams in each conference and any team within six games of the eighth seed were invited by the NBA. With eight regular-season games left to make a playoff push, there were rumors that the NBA decided to include 22 teams in order to get Zion on TV. Six of the eight seeding games were on national television, while the first official restart game was played by the Pelicans. The team was getting ready for the return to play and, as a result, Williamson was photographed in the weight room. Built for this 💪 pic.twitter.com/xdB0OMex35 On July 16, just a week after the team arrived in the Florida bubble, Williamson left to attend to an urgent family matter. The official line has always been that he needed to tend to a family emergency, even though there were reports that he had a hamstring injury. According to sources, he didn't look like the same player after he returned to the Disney World Resort. The team monitored his minutes because he didn't play in the preseason. He played just 29 minutes in the first two games. In the second game, he scored seven points, the only time in his 85 career games that he did not reach 10 points. The Pelicans missed out on the playoffs as Williamson struggled to get going. He sat for three of the last four games. The team did not make the playoffs, according to the coach before the final game of the season. The future is bright. That is a starting point, and we can build off that. August 15, 2020 is when the Pelicans will fire Gentry. He was the only coach in franchise history to have a winning playoff record. Stan Van Gundy was named the head coach of the Pelicans. In exchange for a package including Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, and three first-round picks, the Pelicans traded Jrue Holiday to Milwaukee. The Holiday trade was expanded with New Orleans acquiring Steven Adams from the Thunder in exchange for George Hill, a protected first-round pick and two future picks. In the first game of the regular season, he has 15 points and 10 rebound in a win over the Raptors, and then he has 32 points and 14 rebound in the second game against the Miami Heat. He had his third double-double against the Spurs with 18 points and 10 rebound. A game against the Clippers was missed by Williamson because of a COVID-19 test. Two nights later, he came back against the Lakers. On Feb. 12, 2021, he scored a career-high 36 points against the Dallas Mavericks while shooting 14-of-15 from the field. The final game before the All-Star break is the one where Williamson misses because of toe irritation. The All-Star Game will be played on March 7, 2021, and it will be held in place of the one that missed it. He scored 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting in a losing effort. March 26, 2021, Williamson has a career-high 39 points against the Denver Nuggets. He had 38 points in the game against the Mavericks. On May 4, 2021, he plays his last game of the season after putting up 23 points, 12 rebound, seven assists and four steals against the Golden State Warriors. During the shortened 2020-21 campaign, Williams played in 61 games. He was off the court for extended periods because of injuries. In early April, when he missed three games because of a thumb injury, he continued to play because he wanted to be on the floor with his teammates. On May 4, with the Pelicans making a final push for the playoffs, Williamson suffered a fractured left ring finger that ended his season early. While chasing a rebound against the Warriors center, he broke his finger and appeared to suffer the injury that caused it. During a 13-minute presser three days later, he took aim at the officials for how they treated him throughout the season, and he said the injury happened over a period of time. We told the NBA through every means available to us, through sending in film, through speaking to everybody in the officials department and basketball operations, that the way they were. He is injured because of the open season that has been on Zion Williamson. The decision to fire Van Gundy was not a result of previous results. 10 overall pick in the 2021 draft, as well as a protected 2022. first-round pick from the Lakers, to the Memphis Grizzlies for Valanciunas and the 17 overall pick. The teams trade second-round picks. The Virginia forward was selected by the Pelicans. In a sign-and-trade deal, Lonzo Ball is traded to the Chicago Bulls for Tomas Satoransky and a second-round pick. In a sign-and-trade deal with the Charlotte Hornets, the New Orleans Hornets acquire Devonte Graham in exchange for a lottery-protected first-round pick. The move would allow Williamson to play more minutes, while Graham could function as both a point guard and off-the-ball catch-and-shoot threat. When the PELICANS opened the 2021-22 season with media day, Griffin dropped a bombshell that the player had suffered a broken foot in the early part of the off-season. I think I was overdoing it when I was training. When it was happening, I felt like I was getting after it every day. It happened. The process of healing has been great. The trainer works with the team every day. It has been good. Friday, April 15
Hornets/Hawks at Cavaliers, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 16
Jazz-Mavs Game 1, 1 p.m.
Wolves-Grizzlies, Game 1, 3:30 p.m.
Raptors-76ers, Game 1, 6 p.m.
Nuggets-Warriors, Game 1, 8:30 p.m. (ABC)
All times Eastern.
The team only confirmed that the surgery happened prior to summer league, which began on August 8. The start of the season was not in doubt.
He should be back on the court prior to the season. That is our view. We are very optimistic about what that looks like.
When asked if he would be back for the start of the regular season, he was confident.
I expect to be back for the first game.
The first official game of the season was not played by Williamson. Any game since. He hasn't spoken to the media since.
The start of the regular season will be delayed by two to two and a half weeks due to the fact that Williamson will not be ready.
Charles Barkley said on "Inside the NBA" that someone has to be a grown person in that relationship.
After a loss to the Mavericks dropped the Pelicans to 1-10, center Valanciunas said they haven't had Z this season. We are really waiting for him. We need him. He is going to be the big piece for us defensively. The game is going to change in a big way.
On Nov. 16, 2021, he was cleared for contact and one-on-one workouts. At this point in time, the Pelicans are 2-13, second worst in the NBA.
The basketball player was cleared for full basketball activities.
On the day he is supposed to participate in his first full practice, it was announced that he is experiencing soreness. The Dallas Mavericks handed the Pelicans a 32-point loss.
As he continues to deal with a sore foot, his volume and training are reduced.
The injection in his foot will help the healing of the bone in his right foot.
Instead of continuing his rehabilitation in New Orleans, the team says he will continue his rehabilitation away from the team. Sources told Adrian that he was headed to Portland.
On Feb. 8, 2022, the Pelicans trade for Portland Trail blazers guardCJ McCollum. New Orleans sent Josh Hart, Satoransky and picks to Portland.
During the All-Star break, McCollum says he hasn't spoken to Williamson. He says that the two spoke directly after his comments.
The team in New Orleans will have Williamson back from his rehabilitation.
On March 22, 2022, he posted a short video of him throwing the ball off the backboard, catching it, and doing a between-the-legs dunk. At the time, he wasn't cleared to do that. He was cleared for one-on-one work the next day.
In the warm ups before the play-in game against the Spurs, Zion Williamson puts his athletic skills on display with an acrobatic dunk.
The New Orleans media asked McConnell what made the team appealing to him. The young talent was mentioned immediately.
He asked if you had seen Brandon Ingram play recently.
He was asked about the man.
"Zion is actually in Portland right now, ironically," he said.
New Orleans was supposed to get a trio of top 30 players and make up for striking out in free agency with the trade to bring McCollum over from Portland. The two All-Star forwards were put around by the high-level guard.
They didn't have an All-Star forward.
The news of the trade was positive for Williamson, who was frustrated that he wasn't going to be in New Orleans for the debut of McCollum.
He was away from the team for two months. Lee Anderson said that one of the reasons he returned was because he saw how much fun the team was having.
Anderson said that he wanted to be a part of what was happening. He likes New Orleans.
According to multiple sources, there is a difference of opinion on whether or not he is healthy enough to play. The team believes that the bone in his foot is not healed enough to allow him to take the floor.
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Anderson suggested more.
Anderson said that the staff of the Pelicans was putting some stock in Zion getting healthy and being ready for the long haul. Sometimes when you are faced with an opportunity, you never know when you will get another chance.
Concerns have been raised about his conditioning level. Those have been there for a long time. When he showed up to the media day prior to the season, he was well over his listed playing weight.
According to sources, he is closer to his playing weight than he was. He did a lot of conditioning in Portland but didn't put a lot of weight on his foot.
While in Portland, he was working with a former Utah Jazz trainer. After several seasons with the Jazz, Bibbs left to join the LSU men's basketball program. Sources told ESPN that after arriving, Bibbs left the team and began working with another player.
Trajan was encouraged by what he saw when he went to visit Williamson.
After returning to New Orleans, he started working with the training staff. Slowly, he began to work one-on-one. He worked out under the watch of Teresa Weatherspoon, one of the team's player development coaches.
He was an All-Star in his second season. He was finishing around the rim with a touch that had been seen in his first two years.
The Pelicans are not ready to play in games. He was not ready for a debut as the regular season ended. His status for a potential playoff game is unknown. The plans are kept close to the chest.
That has not stopped him from trying to show he is ready to play. Prior to the play-in game against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Williamson threw down multiple jaw-dropping dunks. There are windmills. It's all in the pictures. Unless New Orleans made a deep run into the playoffs, he would not see the court.
It was done in part to bring out the best in the best player on the court, so that he could create his own shot and help provide spacing.
More of a veteran voice in the locker room is provided by the presence of McCollum. The load doesn't have to be shouldered by Williamson. He needs to be able to play.
He has been great having him around.
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