Pelicans NBA playoff odds: Zion Williamson – Greg Oden 2.0? – now likely to miss entire season

Unfortunately, "Zion Williamson" and "Greg Oden" are trending today on Twitter because of the news that Williamson may require a second foot surgery that would obviously end any chance he would have of playing this year for the New Orleans Pelicans. Williamson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft and the worry is that his career will be wrecked by foot injuries as happened to Oden, the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft.

A few books offer odds on NBA teams to make the playoffs, which means reaching the final eight in each conference – either finishing in the top six and going right to the postseason or advancing through the play-in tournament. New Orleans had been a huge long shot but now those odds are off the board. At 23-35, the Pels are one game out of the final Western Conference play-in spot. They finish the first half of the season Thursday vs. Dallas.

Zion has been brilliant in when on the court for New Orleans but has been limited to just 85 games – barely one full (non-pandemic shortened) regular season. He has averaged 25.7 points on 60.4 percent shooting and 7.0 assists. The team is 40-45 with him.

Williamson suffered a broken foot over the summer. At the time, the Pels downplayed it and said he might be ready for the start of the 2021-22 campaign but that was obviously a lie. Zion has had a few setbacks since then and is now rehabbing on his own in Portland. A recent report from Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune indicates that Williamson may need another surgery. One huge issue is that Williamson is overweight … but can't lose weight because he can't work out properly on that right foot.

It's now clear that the Pelicans blew it atop the 2019 draft as they should have taken Ja Morant, who has blossomed into an MVP candidate with Memphis; Portland blew it big time taking Oden atop the 2007 draft as guy named Kevin Durant went No. 2. A report came out this week that New Orleans wanted to take Zion and then Morant in the 2019 draft and offered the Grizzlies multiple packages that included the No. 4 overall pick that year (which the Pels also had) but all offers were rejected.

The Pelicans' Over/Under win total for this season was set at 39.5 and it's going to be near-impossible for them to reach the Over. Even if they upset Dallas on Thursday, New Orleans would have to go 16-7 after the All-Star break to reach 40 wins.

When oddsmakers originally set that number, it was thought Zion might miss only a few weeks. New season win totals will be released during the All-Star break.

Via SportsLine oddsmakers: Will Zion Williamson play one game this season?

• No -1000
• Yes +700

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