Zion Williamson is headed to the injured list yet again. The New Orleans Pelicans big man has a grade 2 right hip adductor strain and will be out for at least three weeks before getting reevaluated. Williamson has already sat out 11 games this season. Those missed games were a mix of a hamstring injury and resting on the second of back-to-back games.
While a little extra rest is understandable, Williamson simply hasn’t been available for the majority of the Pelicans’ games throughout his career. New Orleans drafted Williamson first overall in 2019. Since he joined the team, he’s appeared in 224 of 493 games. That means he’s made it onto the court for only 45% of games the Pelicans have played with him on the roster.
Williamson signed a five-year contract extension in July of 2022. As Darren Rovell noted, Williamson has earned $129.9 million from the Pelicans so far. If you add up the games he’s missed, he’s made about $71.4 million while in street clothes on the bench.
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The most frustrating part is that Williamson has at times looked unstoppable on the court. He’s made two All-Star teams and has averaged at least 22 points every season. Aside from this year, his true shooting percentage has been at least 60% and he’s added multiple win shares to the Pelicans each season. But as the cliche goes, “the best ability is availability,” and Williamson has simply sat out a staggering number of games.
In fact, he’s missed so many that the last three years of his contract are no longer guaranteed. That could leave the Pelicans with a potential out as they stare down a lost season. They’re currently 3-19, which is the worst record in the NBA.
Could this latest injury convince the team to part ways with Williamson and look to rebuild? New Orleans has a few added challenges here. The team doesn’t have the big market allure of some other franchises, and there was a very public breakup between the Pelicans and another No. 1 pick in Anthony Davis.
Whatever they choose, the Pelicans have a tough decision ahead of them. In the meantime, they’ll continue writing checks for their injured star.
