Since being drafted No. 1 overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019, power forward Zion Williamson has struggled to live up to the hype.
Injuries are one key reason Williamson's success at Duke hasn't carried over into the NBA. He has never played more than 70 regular-season games. The 24-year-old missed the 2021-22 season because of foot surgery.
Williamson - who injured his back on March 19 in a 119-115 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves - is now expected to miss more time. On Monday night, the New Orleans Pelicans announced they're shutting down Williamson for the rest of the regular season. Shooting guard CJ McCollum will also miss the rest of the regular season with a foot injury.
The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season due to their respective injuries.
McCollum, who was diagnosed with a right foot bone contusion after sustaining the injury on March 23 at Detroit, will… pic.twitter.com/t6YhOF4NTX
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 31, 2025
Even if Williamson were healthy, he probably couldn't save the Pelicans' season. With seven regular-season games remaining, New Orleans is 21-54 and last in the Southwestern Division.
Still, it's another disappointing blow for Williamson, who showcases why he was a highly touted prospect when he's healthy. In 30 games this season, he averaged 24.6 points per game, 7.2 rebounds per game and 5.3 assists per game on 56.7% shooting from the field.
Zion Williamson career averages through 5 seasons:
214 GP
24.7 PPG
6.6 RPG
4.3 APG
1.0 SPG
58.9% FG
LeBron and KD are the only players in NBA history with those career averages on at least 50% FG.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) March 31, 2025
Through 214 games in his first five seasons, Williamson has averaged 24.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG and 4.3 APG on 58.9% shooting. According to Underdog NBA's X account, Los Angeles Lakers small forward LeBron James and Phoenix Suns small forward Kevin Durant are the only players in NBA history with career averages of at least 50% from the field. Unlike Williamson, James and Durant have mostly stayed healthy throughout their careers.
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This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 5:56 PM.