Zion Williamson has missed the New Orleans Pelicans’ past seven games due to a strained left hamstring. Unfortunately for the injury-plagued Pelicans, their star forward likely won’t return anytime soon.
Williamson, 24, has undergone multiple hamstring treatments but has not yet recovered to a point where he is ready to play. The Pelicans expected him to miss four to six weeks when he suffered the injury against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 6, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Under that timeline, Williamson could be sidelined until mid-December. However, it is possible he will be out for longer depending on how a frequently injured hamstring responds.
Williamson insists his mobility is good at the moment, but not where it needs to be.
“If you ask me a lot,” when NOLA.com’s Christian Clark asked him what he can do. “But I have to follow the protocol and guidelines. Maintain a good mood. The rehabilitation is going excellently. I’m on the right track. That’s all I can do right now.”
Williamson missed the final 53 games of the 2022-2023 season due to a right hamstring strain. He played in a career-high 70 games last season but missed New Orleans’ four playoff games with a left hamstring injury.
This season, Williamson has played in just six of the Pelicans’ 16 games. He is averaging 22.7 points, eight rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.2 blocks, the best numbers of his career, albeit in limited action.
For Williamson, his weight is a common concern about staying healthy. But he seemed to be in great shape this offseason and reportedly lost more than 25 pounds. Team officials were happy with Williamson’s conditioning and believed he was in the best shape of his six-year career, according to Charania.
The Pelicans are off to a 4–12 start, which puts them in second-to-last place in the Western Conference standings. But injuries were a major obstacle for a team that looked set to return to the playoffs.
New Orleans started the season with Trey Murphy III missing time with a strained right hamstring. So far he has only played in four games. In the team’s season opener, Dejounte Murray broke his left hand.
In early November, Herbert Jones suffered a right shoulder strain and rotator cuff tear, which was expected to keep him out for two to four weeks. CJ McCollum also suffered a right adductor strain that was expected to sideline him for two to three weeks.
The Pelicans will take on the Golden State Warriors in an NBA Cup game on Friday. New Orleans could be eliminated of the season tournament with a loss and a win for the Dallas Mavericks over the Denver Nuggets.
