(Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)
The New Orleans Pelicans played their first game of the NBA preseason ahead of the upcoming regular season.
One surprising inclusion on the roster was Zion Williamson donning the jersey of the team in the preseason.
Williamson is infamous for being extremely injury prone, and playing in the preseason, albeit to get in shape for the regular season, could ruin the Pelicans’ chances of making the playoffs.
Stephen A. Smith recently issued a warning to the Pelicans about playing Williamson in the preseason, via ESPN’s “First Take” on Twitter.
“The way his history has been. He might slip on a Snickers,” Smith said.
.@stephenasmith thinks it’s a MISTAKE for the Pelicans to play Zion in the preseason: pic.twitter.com/ifYwiLEnti
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 11, 2023
While most teams do not give major minutes to their superstar players in the preseason, they still play them in a couple of games to ensure they are in top-notch shape before the regular season begins.
The Pelicans are ultimately hoping for the same regarding Williamson.
In fact, playing him in the preseason is even more important for the organization, as he featured in just 29 games last season.
But at the same time, Smith’s concern cannot be avoided by the franchise.
After all, Williamson has missed a lot of time due to injuries so far in his career.
However, it raises the question of whether the Pelicans made a terrible mistake by entrusting the future of the franchise to Williamson.
If they are required to be extremely careful about playing Williamson in games, they may be better off without them.
The Pelicans fanbase will be on the edge of their seats throughout the preseason to see whether Zion can stay healthy or not.
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