rewrite this title Zion Williamson already out for Pelicans’ third game with injury

The New Orleans Pelicans touted the improved fitness of Zion Williamson during the preseason. Two games into the regular season, their star forward is already out with an injury.

Williamson was ruled out of Monday’s game with the Boston Celtics due to a bone contusion on his left foot. That’s disheartening news for the Pelicans, who opened the season 0-2 but have seen Williamson average 27 points, 9.5 rebounds, six assists and four steals in the first two games.

Zion Williamson is a constant injury risk

The Pelicans have had to manage Williamson’s minutes and rest since drafting him in 2019. A torn meniscus suffered in a preseason game kept him out for the first 44 games of his rookie season, but he returned to play 61 games and make the All-Star team in his sophomore season.

A foot injury kept Williamson out for the 2022-23 season, then he played a career-high 70 games in 2023-24 — before he injured his hamstring during a 40-point performance in a play-in tournament game. Last season, injuries to his back and hamstring led to Williamson missing 52 games.

Some of Williamson’s injury issues stem from his explosive style of play, which puts pressure on his joints. That was especially true when Williamson was struggling with his weight, but this season he’s slimmed way down and is playing with as much explosiveness as ever, like when he dunked on Victor Wembanyama on Friday night.