New Orleans Pelicans: 3 reasons Redick and Zion turned down Team USA

3. Potential injury

Williamson is coming off his only season at the collegiate basketball powerhouse Duke, where he sustained a mild knee sprain causing him to miss five games during the regular season. The injury caused critics to claim that the then-freshman would be better off skipping out the rest of the season and focusing strictly on the NBA Draft.

Then, once drafted and playing in the NBA Summer League, the rookie suffered knee to knee contact in his first matchup, playing only a mere nine minutes. While the injury was minor and little cause for concern, it did happen.

Williamson isn’t necessarily pegged as injury-prone thus far, but the 6’7” 285 pounder has a lot of weight to carry paired with explosion we’ve never seen from someone that size. Playing in an 82 game season for 10 years won’t be friendly to that type of body. Therefore, it’s safe to say the rookie is better off passing on the invite to join Team USA.

For Redick, despite having played 70+ games over the last five seasons, recently turning 35 years old isn’t something to boast in regards to health going forward.

More games and more time spent under significant stress is not something that, if you’re a Pelicans fan, you want. It’s not being disputed that Redick would contribute, especially with a veteran presence for the young squad, but risking health at his stage in his career is just unnecessary.