Pelicans' Zion Williamson's Hip Injury Diagnosed as Contusion After Exiting vs. Jazz

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson suffered a posterior hip contusion before exiting Sunday's 122-121 overtime loss to the Utah Jazz, the team announced.

Williamson finished with 25 points, six rebounds and one assist in 30 minutes. Entering Sunday's game, he had averaged 20.5 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the team's first two games.

Few players generated more excitement coming into the 2022-23 NBA season than Williamson now that he's back healthy after missing all of last year with a torn meniscus.

It didn't take long for fans to have their first scare with the 2020-21 All-Star after he tweaked his ankle in a preseason loss to the Miami Heat. Head coach Willie Green downplayed the significance of the issue after the game.

Williamson was only able to provide glimpses of his massive potential through his first two years, but it was more than enough to justify the massive hype he carried coming out of college.

The 6'6" forward averaged 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 0.6 blocks while shooting 60.4 percent from the floor over 85 games.

As much as it would be great to see Williamson play a full 82-game slate, the Pelicans are bound to be careful with his workload. Beyond erring on the side of caution when he picks up a minor injury, they'll likely give him the occasional night off as well.

Because of that, it shouldn't be a big deal if Williamson misses a game or two. The concern will only come if he's forced off the court for an extended stretch.

While CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram can provide plenty of scoring, the Pels are counting on Zion to help get them to the next level.