Pelicans rule out Zion Williamson (illness) for Bulls game

NEW ORLEANS — Pelicans power forward Zion Williamson has been scratched from the lineup for the club’s regular-season opener against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.

Pelicans coach Willie Green said Williamson was ill and not in attendance.

However, Green said the club is hopeful Williamson, who averaged 22.9 points per game last season, will be able to rejoin the team when the Pelicans begin a four-game West Coast trip in Portland on Oct. 25.

The 6-foot-6 Williamson, the first overall selection out of Duke in the 2019 NBA draft, played in a career-high 70 games last season but also has missed 206 regular-season games during his injury-plagued pro career.

In the 184 games he has played, however, he has averaged 24.7 points per game.

Source: espn.com