Zion Williamson's Pelicans Debut Ends Abruptly With Fractured Hand

Star Rookie to Miss Extended Time, Dealing Blow to New Orleans' Playoff Hopes

New Orleans Pelicans suffered a major setback Tuesday night with the news that their star rookie Zion Williamson fractured his left hand in his debut game. The injury occurred in the fourth quarter of the Pelicans' 123-111 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Williamson was driving to the basket when he was fouled hard by Spurs forward Jakob Poeltl. He immediately grabbed his hand and left the game. The Pelicans announced after the game that Williamson had suffered a displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal in his left hand. He will undergo surgery on Thursday and is expected to miss six to eight weeks.

The injury is a major blow to the Pelicans, who were already struggling to stay in the Western Conference playoff race. Williamson was averaging 23.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game in the preseason and was expected to be a key part of New Orleans' offense this season. His absence will put more pressure on Brandon Ingram and Jrue Holiday to carry the scoring load.

The Pelicans are currently 1-4 on the season and are in danger of falling out of the playoff race early. The injury to Williamson is a significant setback, but the team will need to find a way to rally and make up for his absence if they want to make a run at the playoffs.