The Pelicans are in great shape this season, leading the Southwest Division with a 23-16 record. They have won eleven of their last 16 games. On Wednesday, they wiped out the Warriors, closing in on a wide 141-105 win. However, as the Pelicans make a stop tonight at Dallas for their third game against the Mavericks, they will be without their power forward Zion Williamson.

Tonight will be an exciting game, as both teams are leading the Southwest Div with the same 23-16 record. It will determine in whose favor the scales will tip, which is why it is devastating that Williamson is missing the game. However, this will prove to be a better choice in foresight. So, why are the Pelicans benching the Williamson?

Precautionary measures for Zion Williamson

The 23-year-old star has been dealing with a right quad contusion. Taking precaution, Williamson will be missing tonight’s back-to-back game as he rests his quadriceps. This is to prevent further aggravating his injury. He already played last night’s game against the Nuggets, and immediately diving into another one seems like a plan that could backfire.

Williamson played yesterday’s game against the Nuggets which resulted in a 125-113 loss. He clocked in 35 minutes and contributed an impressive 30 points, six rebounds, and five assists. He suffered the right quad contusion on Sunday’s 111-95 loss against the Clippers in the third quarter. Zion has played 32 out of the Pelicans’ 39 games so far and is having a better season as compared to his previous injury-plagued years.

Zion Williamson’s unlucky years

When Zion made his way to the NBA in 2019, he was regarded as one of the league’s top young players. Naturally, there were mounting expectations and pressure on him. This was dampened by the long list of injuries he suffered. Right off the bat, the then-rookie tore his meniscus during the preseason in October and was able to make his season debut only in January of the next year. Zion missed the entire 2021-22 season due to a foot injury, which was followed by surgery.

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In January 2023, he suffered a hamstring injury, leading him to miss several months of action, only to return in November. In the 2022-23 season, he appeared in 29 games, and only 24 in his rookie season. So when we consider all of this, we can say that this is by far the healthiest season Zion has had in his short career. And we can only hope that nothing goes south because, honestly, the young star needs a break.

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