Zion will be sidelined for at least three weeks due to a severe injury! His right adductor muscle injury will keep him out long-term, and despite losing weight, he still can't escape the injury curse.

On December 3rd Beijing time, according to the well-known journalist Shams, Pelicans star Zion is expected to miss a long stretch due to a right adductor muscle injury, with the team set to reevaluate his status in three weeks. Despite hopes following his weight loss, Zion has yet to overcome his injury woes, playing just 10 games this season before being ruled out once more.

This season, Zion is averaging 22.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4 assists per game with a 51% shooting percentage, but his appearances have been sporadic. He played two games at the start, sat out one, then played three, followed by an eight-game absence, then two games, another rest, returned for three games, and then rested again... Now, Shams' report indicates Zion will enter another extended period of inactivity. It’s important to note that the three-week reexamination does not guarantee a return right after; he will miss at least three weeks of games.

According to US media, considering the nature of Zion’s right adductor injury and the timeline for his comeback, the star forward is unlikely to return to the court before late December. The Pelicans will heavily rely on Saddiq Bey in the frontcourt, and Quinn will continue to receive significant playing time.

Throughout his career, Zion has consistently battled injuries. As the top pick in the 2019-20 draft, this is now his seventh year in the league, yet he has played only 224 regular-season games in total. He has had four seasons with fewer than 30 games played, including missing the entire 2021-22 season due to injury.

The Pelicans’ current record is also very poor, standing at 3 wins and 18 losses, bottom of the Western Conference and the worst in the league. This team, once highly anticipated at the season’s start, has once again disappointed, just like Zion.