How Will Zion Williamson Exiting Disney World Bubble Affect Playoff Picture?

New Orleans star rookie Zion Williamson reportedly has left the Orlando Bubble to attend to a family emergency. 

The Pelicans release a tweet this morning announcing his exit:

The Pelicans show a clear understanding that family comes before basketball (understandably so), but how might this affect the Pelicans' playoff push?

Williamson was planning on kicking off the return to basketball July 30 against the Utah Jazz, but this sudden change of circumstances might throw that return into question.

Safety protocol is explained by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps: Anyone who leaves the campus with approval from the NBA will quarantine for four days upon returning under either of the following conditions:

The Pelicans likely won’t allow the phenom to break protocol, but considering the NBA season starts in exactly two weeks, his family emergency would need to be handled, fast. Considering the Pelicans are 3.5 games behind the eight-seed Memphis Grizzlies, the New Orleans will need all hands on deck to give Adam Silver’s wet dream of a Lakers-Pelicans first round any chance.

The basketball world will be pulling for Zion’s family to get healthy and resolve this matter in as quickly as possible so we don’t have to sleepwalk through a Lakers first round massacre of the Grizzlies.