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Zion Williamson Can Probably Empathize With Chet Holmgren About Now

Both of them have dealt with injuries early in their respective NBA careers.

By JD King
/ new
New Orleans Pelicans v Los Angeles Lakers
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 15: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers keep the ball from Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half at Staples Center on January 15, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

As you may have seen the other day, Chet Holmgren came up limping after a collision with LeBron James in the CrawsOver Pro-Am.

Turns out he has a lisfranc injury, which we understand means that one or more metatarsals is displaced from the tarsus. He seems to have an excellent chance at a full recovery but he’ll miss the entire season.

Which probably doesn’t sound that surprising to former Blue Devil Zion Williamson.

Williamson, of course, has been roundly criticized for his weight and injuries. Holmgren is going to catch it too, but for a different reason: at 7-0 and 190, he is six inches taller than Williamson and 105 pounds lighter.

Williamson appears to have used the time off for his foot injury to get in great shape and to slim down a bit or at least to redistribute his weight and redefine his body. For Holmgren, the challenge is the reverse: he needs to gain weight, and strength, in a big way.

He’s shown a lot of tenacity but his injury came against LeBron James. And James isn’t the only ridiculously powerful guy in the NBA.

Maybe next year, we can see what Holmgren does when Williamson comes rushing down the lane at him determined to dunk.

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