Zion Williamson injury absence 'more precautionary'
New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson is frustrated by his NBA Summer League injury but will focus on honing his craft for next season.
Published : Jul 09, 2019 15:23 IST
Zion Williamson insists his absence from the New Orleans Pelicans NBA Summer League schedule is precautionary.
The Pelicans announced Williamson sustained a knee-to-knee hit with an opponent during Friday's 80-74 win against New York Knicks that would rule him out of its remaining games in Las Vegas. A statement said the No. 1 overall draft pick would "move forward from this incident without issue" and Williamson seemed to confirm as much when he spoke to reporters after his new team-mates overcame the Chicago Bulls 109-72.
"It was more precautionary," he said.
'Frustrating'
"Now I just hone my craft and get ready for the season. It's very frustrating. You know me, I'm a competitor. Whenever I can play, I just want to play."
Despite being restricted to nine minutes on court against the Knicks, it was an experience the 19-year-old relished. "The energy was high and it was actually my first taste of playing against NBA players, so it was great," Williamson added.
The Pelicans wrap up their Las Vegas commitments on Wednesday when they face the Cleveland Cavaliers.