Zion Williamson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Zion Williamson Back For Pelicans On Sunday

October 30th, 2022 at 1:29pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pelicans star power forward Zion Williamson will make his return to the floor for New Orleans on Sunday, the team has announced (via Twitter). New Orleans is facing off against the mighty Clippers on the road in an afternoon matinee today.

The Pelicans also revealed that standout second-year forward Herb Jones will remain sidelined with a hyperextended right knee. Forward Brandon Ingram is still in the league’s concussion protocols.

Across three healthy games this season, Williamson has averaged 22.0 PPG while connecting on 49.1% of his field goals and 71.4% of his free throws. He is also chipping in 6.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 2.0 SPG and 0.7 BPG for New Orleans.

The 6’6″ Duke alum was sidelined for the Pelicans’ prior two contests. He missed all of the 2021/22 NBA season due to a right foot fracture.

Southwest Notes: Primo, Pelicans, Wood, Mavericks

October 29th, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs‘ decision to part ways with 12th overall pick Joshua Primo just 15 months after drafting him was one of the most stunning moves in franchise history, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Based on his research, Mark Deeks of Forbes (Twitter link) believes it’s the smallest gap between being drafted and waived for any NBA lottery pick, ever.

While Orsborn was able to confirm through sources that Primo’s release wasn’t related to basketball, details remain sparse, beyond the statement released by the 19-year-old on Friday. No one in the Spurs’ organization has offered any concrete information, and Primo’s agent Todd Ramasar hasn’t returned messages asking for a comment, according to Orsborn.

As we wait to see if we get any more clarity on Primo’s shocking release, let’s round up a few more notes from around the Southwest…

With Brandon Ingram (concussion), Zion Williamson (hip/back), and Herb Jones (knee) all out of action, the Pelicans showed off their depth on Tuesday in a victory over Dallas, writes William Guillory of The Athletic. However, that depth wasn’t enough to pull out an upset win on Friday in Phoenix without that trio of forwards available. Both Williamson and Jones will be game-time decisions on Sunday, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN. It remains unclear when Ingram will be able to exit the concussion protocol.
Speaking to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Mavericks big man Christian Wood discussed playing with Luka Doncic, adjusting to coming off the bench in Dallas, and his goals for the rest of his career. “Individually, of course, I want to be an All-Star in this league. I think I have a good chance if I get the time and the minutes to show what I can really do. I think I can definitely make a case for that,” Wood said. “I want to try to win as many games as I can. I want to get to the playoffs. I haven’t been to the playoffs one time in my career. I want to try to make a run in the playoffs.”
The Mavericks are considering giving JaVale McGee a rest night on Saturday vs. Oklahoma City, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. However, the plan would be to start Dwight Powell, not Wood, at center. Powell has only seen seven minutes of action so far this season, but Dallas wants to keep Wood as the sixth man, since he has thrived in that role so far, MacMahon explains.

Injury Notes: Ingram, Zion, Jones, Garland, Anthony, MPJ

October 27th, 2022 at 4:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (concussion protocol) will be sidelined for at least three more games, as he won’t travel with the team during its upcoming road trip, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. Head coach Willie Green told reporters, including Guillory, that Zion Williamson (right posterior hip / low back contusion) and Herb Jones (right knee hyperextension) were partial participants in Thursday’s practice and will be listed as questionable for Friday’s game at Phoenix.

The Pelicans have gotten off to an impressive 3-1 start, including Tuesday’s 113-111 victory over Dallas sans all three of the aforementioned starters.

Here are a few more health-related notes from around the NBA:

Cavaliers guard Darius Garland was hoping to make his return for Friday’s game at Boston but he has been ruled out for the contest, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Garland is still dealing with the effects of his lacerated left eyelid, which he suffered in the season opener vs. the Raptors.
Imaging revealed that Cole Anthony sustained a right internal oblique injury during the Magic‘s loss to Cleveland on Wednesday, Orlando announced (via Twitter). The Magic were vague in giving a timeline for the injury, saying that the third-year guard’s “return to play will depend on how he responds to rehabilitation and treatment.”
Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. missed Wednesday’s game against the Lakers with “lumbar management,” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Head coach Michael Malone told reporters, including Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter link), that Porter suffered a back spasm during Monday’s game at Portland and could have played against the Lakers if necessary, but Malone expects him to play against the Jazz on Friday. The Nuggets have officially listed Porter (lumbar spine management), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (left ankle sprain) and Davon Reed (personal reasons) as questionable for Friday’s contest, tweets Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Porter, who only played nine games last season and underwent lumbar spine surgery last November, is off to a strong start in 2022/23, averaging 18.0 points and 5.8 rebounds on .510/.500/.800 shooting through four games (29.0 minutes).

Southwest Notes: Wood, Tate, Pelicans, Spurs

October 25th, 2022 at 1:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks star Luka Doncic likes what he has seen from new teammate Christian Wood so far this season, as Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News writes. Wood has racked up 50 points and 20 rebounds in just 49 minutes of action in his first two games with Dallas.

“He’s a great player,” said Doncic, who has a +26.3 net rating when sharing the court with Wood. “He listens to us. He accepts his role, and he’s just doing amazing stuff out there. It’s only two games, but he’s going to be very good for us.”

Wood, who has come off the bench so far, is making a strong case to be promoted to the starting five, but the Mavericks are unlikely to make any immediate changes to their lineup, according to Tim Cato of The Athletic. Dallas’ coaching staff wants to assess its current rotation across a larger sample before drawing any conclusions, Cato explains.

“We’ll look at a 10-game stretch, maybe,” head coach Jason Kidd said. “We can’t do two games and figure that’s the way we’re going to roll. You don’t get enough data.”

Let’s round up a few more items from around the Southwest…

Barring a setback, Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate will return to action on Wednesday in Utah, sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). Tate, who signed a new three-year contract with Houston in the offseason, has been on the shelf for the team’s first four games of the season due to a right ankle injury.
Brandon Ingram (concussion protocol), Zion Williamson (right posterior hip / low back contusion) and Herb Jones (right knee hyperextension) have all been ruled out for the Pelicans‘ game vs. Dallas on Tuesday, the team announced (via Twitter). All three players were initially listed as questionable, so they’ll presumably be considered day-to-day going forward.
The Spurs, widely expected to be a player in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, are off to a 3-1 start this season. Swingman Devin Vassell admitted after Monday’s win in Minnesota that the outside expectations for the team have been a motivating factor. “I try not to listen to the outside noise, but I’m not going to lie, it does get frustrating when everybody is talking about tanking, tanking, tanking,” Vassell said, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “We are professional athletes. We all want to play. We all want to win. And that’s how we are going to approach every game.”

Injury Notes: DiVincenzo, Zion, Ingram, Boucher, Barnes

October 24th, 2022 at 3:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo injured his left hamstring during Sunday’s victory over Sacramento and won’t travel with the team to Phoenix for Tuesday’s contest, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Speaking today to reporters, including Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link), Warriors head coach Steve Kerr revealed that DiVincenzo will miss more than just Tuesday’s game, indicating that the swingman will be reevaluated in one week.

As Andrews relays, the Warriors will be in the midst of a five-game road trip at that point and haven’t yet determined whether DiVincenzo will join them on that trip, which ends on November 4.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

The Pelicans are listing forwards Zion Williamson (hip), Brandon Ingram (head), and Herb Jones (knee) as questionable for Tuesday’s game vs. Dallas, writes Andrew Lopez of ESPN. Williamson and Ingram left Sunday’s loss after sustaining their respective injuries, while Jones tweaked his knee during that game, but it sounds like none of the three injuries are significant. Imaging on Jones’ knee came back clean, per head coach Willie Green.
Although Green told reporters today that Ingram wasn’t in the NBA’s concussion protocol, the Pelicans put out a press release announcing that Ingram is, in fact, in the protocol. Within the announcement, the team noted that the return-to-participation process can begin no earlier than 24 hours from the time of the injury, which is why Ingram can’t yet be cleared.
Raptors big man Chris Boucher has been cleared to make his regular season debut on Monday after missing the team’s first three games due to a hamstring issue, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. Scottie Barnes remains questionable for Monday with an ankle sprain, but the fact that he’ll likely be a game-time decision is a sign that the injury isn’t as serious as the team initially feared it could be, Lewenberg observes.
In case you missed it, the Lakers ruled out two-way forward Cole Swider for at least the next four weeks due to a foot issue.

Pelicans’ Williamson Injures Hip, Ingram Hurts Head In Loss To Jazz

October 23rd, 2022 at 9:26pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Oft-injured Pelicans power forward Zion Williamson is injured yet again. New Orleans has announced (via Twitter) that the 6’8″ forward suffered a posterior hip contusion near the end of New Orleans’s 122-121 overtime loss to the Jazz on Sunday.

The severity of the ailment, which could indicate a recovery timeline, has not been revealed as of yet. It’s unclear whether Williamson will be able to play through it. Across his first two games this season, the former first overall pick had been averaging 20.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.0 APG and 2.5 SPG for the Pelicans.

New Orleans’ other star forward, Brandon Ingram, also departed the contest early after the club determined that he had incurred concussion-like symptoms from a head injury, reports Andrew Lopez of ESPN.

Ingram bumped into Pelicans reserve small forward Naji Marshall while trying to make a steal. Ingram had averaged 28.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG and 6.0 APG through his first two complete contests. He played just 11 minutes against the Jazz before exiting the game.

New Orleans currently sports a 2-1 record on the young 2022/23 NBA season. That said, should either Williamson or Ingram be sidelined for an extended duration, the club may need to lean on shooting guard CJ McCollum for further scoring punch, and could be looking for further minutes from reserves Marshall, Trey Murphy III, and Larry Nance Jr. if it needs to compensate for the absence of Williamson and/or Ingram.

Last year, an upstart Pelicans team pushed the Suns to a hotly-contested six-game first round Western Conference playoff series. With Williamson back in the fold to start the season, the club is hoping to build on that result this year.

Pelicans Notes: Zion, Jones, Green, Marshall

October 23rd, 2022 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Returning to North Carolina on Friday was an important experience for the Pelicans‘ Zion Williamson, who played his first game at Charlotte since coming to the NBA, writes Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer. Faced with frequent double teams, Williams was limited to 16 points, but he was excited for the chance to play in front of friends and family and raved about the talent that New Orleans has assembled.

“I say it a lot, our team is deep,” he said. “I haven’t played with a team like this throughout my life. Closest would be in college, but at the pro level, this is something different. And I say it all the time, this is a special team, and I’m excited to see what we’re going to do.”

Williamson was even more impressive in Wednesday’s season opener, with 25 points and nine rebounds in a decisive win at Brooklyn. It was an emphatic return after missing all of last season because of foot surgery, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, and coach Willie Green said Williamson’s presence has been uplifting.

“I can see his energy starting to come back,” Green said. “That smile is real. It’s fun to have him back in the gym. He’s been very, very good and we look forward to him just continuing to build from here.”

There’s more from New Orleans:

Herb Jones, who took the league by storm with his defense during his rookie season, said in an interview with Michael Scott of HoopsHype that he developed his style by watching NFL defenders as well as NBA players. “I think my defense and how I see the game is something where I’ve tried to watch safeties in the NFL,” Jones said. “Ed Reed and Kam Chancellor, who was long and covered so much ground. I just tried to figure out how they were able to read and react to plays on that side of the field. I felt like if I could take pieces from their mentality, then I could roam around on the basketball court fairly easily.”
Expectations are higher than ever for the Pelicans going into tonight’s home opener, Rod Walker of NOLA.com notes in a subscriber-only story. Some national media members are pointing to New Orleans as a legitimate contender in the West. “That’s a good thing,” Green said. “It means we have a chance to be a good team. Those expectations aren’t higher than our own.”
The Pelicans’ reputation as an underdog has helped them connect with fans in New Orleans, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Naji Marshall said the public can identify with the obstacles the team overcame to reach the playoffs last season. “They saw us grind — just like New Orleans,” Marshall said. “They’ve been hit with tragedies, and they always bounce back. For them to see us bounce back from a bad season, it was huge.”

Injury Notes: Zion, Grizzlies, Raptors, Beasley, Bagley

October 17th, 2022 at 3:16pm CST by Rory Maher

Pelicans star Zion Williamson, who left a preseason game early last week with left ankle soreness and subsequently missed the finale, was a full participant in practice on Monday, per head coach Willie Green (Twitter link via ESPN’s Andrew Lopez). Green sounded non-committal about Williamson’s status for Wednesday’s regular season opener, but Williamson put speculation to rest by stating, “I’m playing Wednesday,” as Lopez tweets.

The 22-year-old former No. 1 overall pick looks to be in great shape for 2022/23 after missing all of last season with a broken foot, so hopefully the ankle issue is as minor as it seems.

Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:

Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said the team is hoping to get some 5-on-5 work in for Jaren Jackson Jr. “in the next couple of weeks,” tweets Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Jackson underwent foot surgery at the end of June and will miss the start of the regular season. Jenkins also said second-year wing Ziaire Williams missed practice on Monday with a non-COVID illness in addition to knee soreness, and his status for the season opener is up in the air (Twitter link via Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com).
Raptors big man Chris Boucher, who’s dealing with a hamstring injury, was able to practice today and the team is hopeful he’ll be ready for the opener on Wednesday, per head coach Nick Nurse (Twitter link courtesy of Sportsnet’s Michael Grange). Eric Koreen of The Athletic relays (via Twitter) that free agent addition Otto Porter (hamstring) did not participate in practice and Koreen expects him “to be out for a little bit.”
According to Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link), Jazz shooting guard Malik Beasley recently said his sprained left ankle feels “completely healed” he and expects to play in Wednesday’s season opener. Beasley was acquired from Minnesota this offseason in the Rudy Gobert deal.
Marvin Bagley III admits “it was a little scary” when he suffered a sprained MCL and bone bruise in his right knee during preseason last week, writes Mike Curtis of The Detroit News (subscription required). “When I did it, all types of stuff was running through my mind,” Bagley said. “It was something I couldn’t have really prevented. It happened so fast. That feeling, I never felt it before. Getting up and not being able to put pressure on it, it was a little scary for me. God had his hands on me; had His arms around me, so that’s all I can ask for.” The big man added that he’s not going to rush the rehabilitation process and will only suit up for the Pistons when he’s ready, but he’s feeling progressively better every day.

Pelicans Notes: Zion, McCollum, Ingram, Jones

October 13th, 2022 at 10:28am CST by Luke Adams

Within an in-depth feature by Howard Beck of SI.com, Pelicans star Zion Williamson said that he was in “dark places at times” while he spent last season recovering from a broken foot.

“I couldn’t play basketball. I could only do limited rehab things. And then just seeing how the world reacted? It took a lot. It did a lot on my spirit,” Williamson said, acknowledging that the criticism he faced from outside observers took a toll on him and his family.

Having leaned on assistant coaches Teresa Weatherspoon – whom Williamson described as being “like a big sister” – and Corey Brewer to help get him through the year, the former No. 1 overall pick believes he’s grown a lot and is in a much better place heading into the 2022/23 season, both mentally and physically.

After signing a five-year, maximum-salary extension with the Pelicans in the offseason, Williamson has also gotten a reprieve from questions about his commitment to New Orleans. Speaking to Beck, the fourth-year forward laughed off the speculation that he’d want to leave the Pelicans after getting a first-hand look at the team’s second-half surge and playoff appearance last season.

“People really out here think that I could witness something like that and then tell myself I don’t want to be (there)?” Williamson said.

Here’s more on Zion and the Pelicans:

Williamson left Wednesday’s preseason game with left ankle soreness, but the injury is considered minor, and the team only removed him for precautionary reasons, writes Andrew Lopez of ESPN. “It was one of those things where it happened and I popped back up, like, ‘Yeah, I’m straight,'” Williamson said. “Played a few minutes after that, it felt fine. Then they sent me to the back just to double-check. We wanted to look at it, had a doc look at it, and he just said a little day-to-day soreness. But outside of that, I personally feel fine. Wasn’t bad news from the docs.”
CJ McCollum returned to action on Wednesday after missing two preseason contests with a sore right ankle, while Brandon Ingram (toe) remained out. According to Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link), head coach Willie Green said that Ingram went through a full practice on Tuesday, and the forward himself told ESPN’s Lopez (Twitter link) that he thinks he’ll be able to play in the team’s preseason finale on Friday.
In his first diary entry for Andscape, McCollum (as relayed by Marc J. Spears) explains why he’s “genuinely excited” about playing in New Orleans and says he’s embracing the opportunity to be a vocal leader and the primary ball-handler and decision-maker in the backcourt after seeing Damian Lillard play that role in Portland.
In a story for The Athletic, Guillory profiles second-year forward Herbert Jones, who has the potential to raise the Pelicans’ ceiling if he continues to improve following a very promising rookie season.

Southwest Notes: Zion, McDermott, Branham, Silas

October 1st, 2022 at 9:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Zion Williamson was the star attraction for Pelicans fans at this year’s open practice, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. After missing all of last season following foot surgery, Williamson has been impressive during training camp, with coach Willie Green saying he “dominated” the team’s first scrimmage. This is the first time Williamson has been able to take part in an open practice since his rookie year, so he tried to put on a show for the crowd.

“I haven’t been in that environment where I have been able to play and interact with the fans,” he said. “Once I hit one group, I looked around and was like, ‘I’m going to have to make a 360.'”

Williamson also talked about having stability for the first time in his NBA career. He agreed to a five-year, maximum-salary extension during the offseason, and he has watched the team reach new deals with CJ McCollum and Larry Nance Jr. in the past week.

“My first three years, it was always a different cast of guys,” Williamson said. “To see some vet guys stay around and build something special here, it means a lot. Last season after the final game, I just wanted to be part of something special. Seeing CJ, Larry, some of the other guys stick around, I’m excited for the process.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Even though they aren’t that old, Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson have to fill the role of veteran leaders on a young Spurs team, per Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. The Spurs have 10 players on their 20-man roster who are 22 or younger, and five are still teenagers. “There is something to be said that we are still here and kind of leading the locker room,” the 30-year-old McDermott said. “It’s a blessing honestly that they value me and Josh and Jakob (Poeltl) to be those guys. Because we don’t have any egos and want to see those guys thrive just as much as they do.”
The Spurs‘ six rookies, including three first-round picks, will get their first taste of NBA competition Sunday night, McDonald adds in a separate story. There has been plenty to absorb in a short time for the group, which has been through only four practices together. “It’s been a lot of learning,” said 20th overall pick Malaki Branham. “Fast-paced, but it’s been good. We’re all fast learners so I feel like we all kind of get it.”
Rockets coach Stephen Silas will focus on working out his rotations during the preseason, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. “Still trying to figure out which groups play well together,” Silas said. “Tomorrow gives us a chance to do it against another team, which is huge. It’s hard when you’re evaluating both teams at the same time. But when you’re playing against a team, you can really dive into what works well offensively or defensively.”