Zion Williamson has missed the New Orleans Pelicans’ past seven games with a strained left hamstring. Unfortunately for the injury-riddled Pelicans, their star forward isn’t likely to return soon.
Williamson, 24, has undergone multiple treatments on the hamstring but hasn’t recovered enough to a point where he’s ready to play. The Pelicans expected him to miss four to six weeks when he suffered the injury on Nov. 6 versus the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Following that timeline, Williamson could be sidelined until mid-December. However, it’s possible that he may be out for even longer depending on how a hamstring that has been frequently injured responds.
Williamson insists his mobility is good right now, but not where it needs to be.
“If you ask me, a lot,” when asked by NOLA.com’s Christian Clark what he can do. “But I have to follow protocol and guidelines. Staying in good spirits. Rehab is going great. I’m on track. That’s all I can do right now.”
Williamson missed the final 53 games of the 2022-23 season with a right hamstring strain. He played in a career-high 70 games last season, but missed New Orleans’ four playoff games with his left hamstring injured.
That might not be the extent of Williamson’s issues, as he reportedly split with his agents at CAA recently for unclear reasons. That’s something you rarely see when things are going according to plan.
This season, Williamson has played in only six of the Pelicans’ 16 games. He’s averaged 22.7 points, eight rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.2 blocks, the best overall numbers of his career—albeit in limited action.
With Williamson, his weight is a frequent concern. But he appeared to be in great shape during the offseason, reportedly losing more than 25 pounds. Team officials were happy with Williamson’s conditioning, believing he was in the best shape of his six-year career, according to Charania.
The Pelicans are off to a 4-12 start, which has them next to last in the Western Conference standings. But injuries have been a major obstacle for a team that looked to return to the playoffs.
New Orleans began the season with Trey Murphy III missing time with a strained right hamstring. He’s only appeared in four games thus far. In the team’s season opener, Dejounte Murray fractured his left hand.
At the beginning of November, Herbert Jones suffered a right shoulder strain and tear in his rotator cuff that was expected to keep him out for two to four weeks. CJ McCollum also sustained a right adductor strain that’s expected to sideline him for two to three weeks.
The Pelicans face the Golden State Warriors in an NBA Cup matchup on Friday. New Orleans could be eliminated from the in-season tournament with a loss and a Dallas Mavericks win over the Denver Nuggets.
