What does Zion Williamson's extended absence to start his rookie season mean for the New Orleans Pelicans?
On Monday, the Pelicans announced that the No. 1 overall pick of this year's draft underwent arthroscopic surgery on a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee, confirming last Friday's report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that Williamson will be sidelined for a "period of weeks." The injury is disappointing for everyone involved, including fans eager to see whether Zion could keep up his dominant preseason play once the games started to count.
Losing Zion threatens the Pelicans' hopes of reaching the playoffs this season. How can they replace Williamson in the short term? And how concerned should we be about Zion going forward? Let's break it down.