Zion Williamson has been ruled out for Saturday’s matchup against the Atlanta Hawks. This marks the second night of a back-to-back, where Williamson played last night, and it will mark his 10th missed game already this season.
Injuries have continued to be a consistent issue for the former No. 1 overall pick. Across the seven games he has played this season, Williamson is averaging 21.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists. The two-time All-Star finished with 22 points, three rebounds and two assists in a 118-115 loss to the Dallas Mavericks last night, which dropped the Pelicans to 2-14 on the season.
Amid Williamson’s lack of consistent availability, rookie Derik Queen has emerged as a foundational piece of the future. New Orleans paid a steep price to bring him in, trading the 23rd overall pick and an unprotected first-rounder next year to move up 10 slots and draft him at 13th. While the lack of team results has made the shock of this deal seem even more stunning, Queen has done his part in proving why he can excite the fan base.
Through his opening 16 games, the Maryland product is averaging 12.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 23.7 minutes per game. Queen saw his role grow in recent games, scoring a career-high 30 points to go along with nine rebounds and four assists on Wednesday. He finished last night’s matchup with 20 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds, which marked the most assists by a rookie center since Brad Daugherty in 1987. He also became the youngest center to ever register 20+ points and 11+ assists in a game.
Expect Queen to continue seeing an elevated role with Williamson sidelined and for the future of if/how these two unique players can fit together to become a bigger storyline.
Looking at the odds for tonight’s matchup, the Hawks enter as 9.5-point favorites and hold -440 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Pelicans hold +340 odds of pulling off the outright upset with the game total set at 230.5 points.
Stay tuned to DK Network for live updates surrounding Williamson’s outlook and all other notable players moving forward.
