The New Orleans Pelicans had playoff aspirations entering the season. Instead, they sit with a 7-29 record, at least three games behind every other team in the Western Conference. The team has arguably been the most injury-ravaged in the league. The face of the franchise, Zion Williamson, hasn’t played since November 6. That means today marks two months since he last appeared in a game for the Pelicans.
After missing 27 consecutive games, Williamson may be returning to the court soon, at least according to his head coach.
Pelicans Head Coach Gives Positive Update On Zion Return
Willie Green Says Zion Williamson Could Return This Week
The 24-year-old Williamson has been out since leaving a November 6 game against the Cleveland Cavaliers with a left hamstring strain. He had actually missed the previous two games prior to Cleveland with left hamstring tightness.
Now the Pelicans have been a snakebitten franchise when it comes to injuries. Nearly every top player of their rotation whether it’s Dejounte Murray, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III, Jose Alvarado, Herbert Jones, Jordan Hawkins, or Williamson, have missed more than a handful of games with injury. Alvarado recently returned from his injury, and Zion’s return could be next.
According to Will Guillory of The Athletic, Willie Green, head coach of the Pelicans, said there is a chance that Williamson returns this week. Green stated that Williamson took part in 5-on-5 practice on Monday.
Willie Green said “there’s a chance” Zion Williamson will be able to play this week. Said Williamson went through 5-on-5 practice today.
— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) January 6, 2025
The 6-foot-6 power forward has appeared in just six games this season. He has posted averages of 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.2 blocks. The team went 2-4 with Williamson in the lineup, meaning they are 5-25 without him.
The Pelicans have four games on the schedule through this upcoming Sunday. They play home games Tuesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Wednesday against the Portland Trail Blazers. New Orleans then travels on the road for a Friday matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers and Sunday against the Boston Celtics.
Hasn’t Been Able To Stay Healthy Throughout Career
After just one season at Duke, Williamson was selected by the Pelicans first overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. It was a dominant year with the Blue Devils, as Williamson exhibited an extraordinary amount of athleticism especially for a man of his size. Since 2000, arguably the only players who entered the draft with more hype are LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama.
When he’s been on the court, Williamson has mostly lived up to the hype. The problem is that he has missed a ton of time throughout his career. He played just 24 games in his rookie season. A foot injury sidelined Williamson for the entirety of the 2021-22 season.
Now in his sixth year since being drafted, Williamson has played in just 190 games. Last season was one of just two he mostly stayed healthy in as he appeared in 70 contests (in 2021-22, he played in 61 of 72 outings).
So while it would be great to see Williamson back on the court this week, Pelicans fans will likely hold their breath that he can remain on the court without getting hurt again.
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