TORONTO – No. 1 overall draft pick Zion Williamson will not get to make his NBA debut Tuesday, but the New Orleans Pelicans have the bigger picture in mind as they approach his recovery from surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. As Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin noted this morning, “We’re going to be very cautious, as we would be with anyone. This is a marathon; it’s not a sprint.”
Williamson was given a timetable of 6-8 weeks before he can return to full basketball activities, which will cause him to miss a chunk of the early season, but Griffin indicated that the Duke product will be in position to still make an impact over the long 82-game schedule.