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Zion Williamson undergoes surgery to repair torn meniscus, out 6-8 weeks

By Kevin Connelly

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 29: Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts during a between the New Orleans Saints and the Dallas Cowboys game at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on September 29, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 29: Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts during a between the New Orleans Saints and the Dallas Cowboys game at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on September 29, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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The former Duke Basketball star, Zion Williamson, will be out 6-8 weeks in his first NBA season after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus.

After what the New Orleans Pelicans thought was good news, has turned into bad news as rookie Zion Williamson had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.

Last week it was reported that the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft had been dealing with knee soreness and would be out for a few weeks, but avoided a major injury.

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After seeking multiple opinions on the injury, the Pelicans announced that the former Duke Blue Devil had surgery and will be sidelines for the start of the season.

New Orleans opens its season on October 22 on the road against the defending NBA Champion Toronto Raptors.

Williamson played in four games in the NBA Preseason and the team believes that he suffered the injury on October 13 against the San Antonio Spurs.

In a total of 109 minutes this preseason, the consensus National Player of the Year in 2019 averaged 23.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, while shooting 71.4% from the field.

The current timetable of 6-8 weeks to return from his torn meniscus would put Zion Williamson returning to the court in December, missing approximately 20 games this season.

As the favorite for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, the Spartanburg, South Carolina native was also anticipated to help lead the new-look New Orleans Pelicans to a potential NBA Playoff berth, both which might be in doubt at the moment.

Williamson’s injury could date back to February 20 when the superstar busted through his shoe at Duke in the opening minutes against North Carolina, causing him to miss six games due to a knee injury.

Zion Williamson returned to the court for the ACC and NCAA Tournaments, playing in all of Duke’s postseason games. The No. 1 overall pick also sat out all but nine minutes of the NBA Summer League after suffering a knee bruise in his first game.

The New Orleans Pelicans should not rush its franchise player back on the floor and let him fully heal and recover from the meniscus surgery.

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