The New Orleans Pelicans were just 1.5 games back from being a participating in the NBA Play-In Tournament prior to Friday’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Zion Williamson was unable to play and has been ruled out indefinitely due to a fractured finger.
Pelicans Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin did not pull any punches when discussing Williamson’s injury. He directed the blame directly at the NBA’s officials for the way they have officiated his budding superstar around the basket.
“I’m really frustrated because this was avoidable,” Griffin told reporters, including The Washington Post’s Ben Golliver. “We told the NBA through every means available to us, through sending in film, through speaking to everybody in the officials’ department and everybody in basketball operations, that the way they were officiating Zion was going to get him injured.
“Quite frankly, he’s injured now because of the open season there’s been on Zion Williamson in the paint. He’s been absolutely mauled in the paint on a regular basis, to the point that other players have said to him, ‘I’m going to keep doing this to you because they don’t call it.'”
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While this is the first hand injury that will force Williamson to be sidelined, ESPN’s Andrew Lopez reported that the Pelicans star has been playing trough an injury on the opposite hand. This makes the consequence of the toll he has taken out to be a pattern.
It’s highly likely that Zion Williamson’s 2020-21 NBA campaign will be ended by this injury. He has posted averages consisted of 27 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 61.1% shooting in 61 games. He has made a strong case to be on one of the All-NBA Teams.
The Pelicans now hold a 30-37 record and are 2.0 games back from being a participating in the NBA Play-In Tournament. Without Zion Williamson in the lineup, the team appears to be set to have their next priority be the NBA Draft Lottery as opposed to the playoffs.
