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How the NBA will kind out Zion’s return to the bubble (1: 02)
Malika Andrews breaks down how the NBA will kind out Zion Williamson’s return to the bubble in Orlando. (1: 02)
8: 05 PM ET
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Andrew LopezESPN
Contemporary Orleans Pelicans rookie forward Zion Williamson returned to the NBA campus on Friday evening, the group of workers talked about in an announcement.
Williamson, who within the initiating left the bubble in Orlando, Florida, on July 16 to are inclined to a family medical emergency, now enters the NBA quarantine duration earlier than he can rejoin the group of workers.
“My family and I cherish the admire and appreciate that each person showed us while we dealt with a inner most family subject,” Williamson talked about in an announcement launched by the group of workers. “I’m infected to rejoin my group of workers in Orlando and search for forward to getting help on the court docket with my teammates after quarantine.”
Since Williamson became once being examined for COVID-19 while he became once away, and testing harmful, his quarantine duration must be finest four days; on the other hand, the NBA has no longer made an legitimate announcement on that atomize.
From the NBA protocol on exit and reentry: “… if a participant leaves for a long absence however undergoes a day-to-day PCR test and returns a harmful test consequence for no longer lower than the seven days previous his return to campus, then the participant’s quarantine on the campus would possibly perhaps be four days (field to extension by a consulting infectious disease physician designated by the NBA for the case).”
If Williamson has to quarantine for finest four days, he would be readily out there to play when the Pelicans initiating up seeding video games on Thursday against the Utah Jazz.
Nonetheless, a source suggested ESPN that Williamson’s aim for that recreation, even supposing he’s cleared to play by the NBA, is up within the air. Williamson before the total lot left the bubble on July 16 and returned eight days later — and a doable four-day ready duration stretches his time away from the group of workers to virtually two weeks. The Pelicans would possibly perhaps be cautious with his return.
Williamson played in 19 video games this season for Contemporary Orleans, after missing the principle 43 video games improving from meniscus surgical treatment and any other contest in February with a sprained ankle.
When he became once on the court docket, he became once a force. Williamson averaged 23.6 facets on 58.9% shooting while additionally averaging 6.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per recreation. His offensive score (113.5) and defensive score (103.1) were tops on the group of workers, and his catch score (10.4) became once virtually double that of the subsequent highest Pelican — Derrick Favors (5.8).
In its first scrimmage recreation on Wednesday, Contemporary Orleans topped an undermanned Brooklyn Nets squad 99-68.
The Pelicans will rob on the Denver Nuggets in a scrimmage on Saturday earlier than wrapping up their third exhibition against the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.
