Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Limited impact in loss Sunday
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Williamson chipped in 12 points (4-13 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-5 FT), eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals over 34 minutes during Sunday's 124-108 loss to the Lakers.
The fact that Williamson finished with more field goal attempts than points scored tells you all you need to know about his performance Sunday. This was his worst outing since March 22, but the star forward doesn't have a lot of time to reflect on this appearance, as the Pelicans need him at his best to face the Lakers again on Tuesday, this time in the Play-In Tournament. One bad outing is not going to ruin a stellar season, however, as Williamson scored 25 or more points in 32 different appearances during the regular season while also racking up 12 double-doubles across 70 contests.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Returns to game
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Williamson returned for the second half of Thursday's game against the Kings.
Williamson missed the last six minutes of the second quarter with an apparent wrist issue and didn't come out of the locker room until a few minutes before the start of the third quarter. However, it appears that he's fine, and he quickly scored a driving layup upon his return to action.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Goes to locker room
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Williamson left Thursday's game versus the Kings with an apparent left wrist injury, Will Guillory of The Athletic reports.
Williamson was attempting to get a shot up over multiple Kings and injured his left wrist in the process. The Pelicans haven't released an update yet, but Williamson should be considered questionable to return for now.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Hits for 22 in Tuesday's win
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Williamson closed with 22 points (7-18 FG, 8-9 FT), seven rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal across 33 minutes during Tuesday's 110-100 victory over the Trail Blazers.
The fourth-year forward scored 20-plus points for the 14th time in his last 16 games. This has been the healthiest season of Williamson's career -- he's already suited up for 67 games, a personal best -- and he's finishing it with some strong play, averaging 25.6 points, 6.9 boards, 4.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks over that 16-game stretch while shooting 57.8 percent from the floor.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Sniffs triple-double Sunday
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Williamson racked up 29 points (11-21 FG, 7-8 FT), 10 rebounds, seven assists, five blocks and one steal over 40 minutes during Sunday's 113-105 win over the Suns.
Williamson returned from a one-game absence, and it seemed he wasn't bothered by the finger injury that caused him to miss Friday's loss to the Spurs, as the star forward ended just three assists away from recording a triple-double. Williamson has embraced a more prominent role as a playmaker but also remains an elite scoring weapon, and he's averaged 24.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game over his last 10 appearances.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Will play Sunday
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Williamson (finger) is available for Sunday's game against the Suns, Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com reports.
Williamson missed Friday's loss to the Spurs but practiced Saturday and will return to action Sunday. Over his last six appearances, Williamson has averaged 27.2 points, 5.3 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 35.5 minutes per game.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Officially listed as questionable
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Williamson (finger) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Suns.
Williamson went through practice Saturday and seems to be trending in the right direction after missing Friday's loss to the Spurs. The return of the star forward could mean a decrease in offensive touches for Jonas Valanciunas, as the Pelicans' offense should flow through Williamson if he ends up being available. The star forward has averaged 24.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game over his last 10 appearances.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Practices Saturday
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Williamson (finger) participated in Saturday's practice, Erin Summers of Bally Sports New Orleans reports.
Williamson bruised his finger earlier in the week and sat out Friday's game as a result. His presence at practice Saturday indicates he is trending in the right direction. More clarity on his status should come once the Pelicans release the injury report for Sunday's game in Phoenix.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Out Friday
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Williamson (finger) won't play in Friday's matchup with the Spurs.
While X-rays came back negative on Williamson's left middle finger after he bruised the digit in Wednesday's loss to the Spurs, the Pelicans will err on the side of caution with him for at least one game. While Williamson is sidelined for the first time since Feb. 10, the Pelicans could lean more heavily than usual on Jonas Valanciunas in the frontcourt, while CJ McCollum may be in store for some added playmaking opportunities.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: X-rays negative, deemed day-to-day
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Williamson (finger) underwent X-rays that came back negative Thursday, and he's considered day-to-day, Andrew Lopez of ESPN.com reports.
Williamson was unavailable in the closing minutes of Wednesday's 117-108 loss to the Magic, and he's since been diagnosed with a left middle finger contusion. It's not yet clear whether he'll be available for Friday's game against the Spurs, but even if he's sidelined, Williamson doesn't appear as though he'll be headed for a lengthy absence late in the regular season.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Battles finger injury in loss
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Williamson generated 15 points (7-16 FG, 1-4 FT), five assists, two rebounds, two steals and a block during 29 minutes of Wednesday's 117-108 loss to the Magic. He didn't play the final 7:24 due to a finger injury, Will Guillory of The Athletic reports.
Williamson took a brief trip to the locker room earlier in the contest after a collision with Gary Harris, but the incident appears to be unrelated to the finger issue. However, as Andrew Lopez of ESPN.com later reported, Williamson tweaked the finger injury on a block attempt, then hurt it again on a dunk early in the fourth quarter. The lessened workload meant Williamson scored fewer than 20 points for just the second time in his last 14 appearances. Fantasy managers should be on the lookout for an injury update ahead of the Pelicans' matchup with San Antonio on Friday.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Struggles from charity stripe
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Williamson supplied 25 points (9-17 FG, 7-14 FT), nine rebounds, four assists and one steal in 40 minutes during Saturday's 104-92 loss to the Celtics.
Williamson was responsible for 14 of the Pelicans' 18 free-throw attempts Saturday, but he was able to connect on only half of them. He's shooting 70.4 percent from the charity stripe this season, and he upped that to 75.2 percent in March heading into Saturday's game. Since the All-Star break, Williamson is averaging 23.7 points on 58.7 percent shooting, 6.7 rebounds, 5.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals over 32.7 minutes per game.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Strong from line as leading scorer
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Williamson ended with 28 points (9-15 FG, 10-16 FT), five rebounds, two assists and one block over 33 minutes in Thursday's 107-100 win over Milwaukee.
Williamson led all Pelicans players in scoring behind a strong shooting performance from the free-throw line, also adding a handful of rebounds to boost New Orleans in a winning effort. Williamson has connected on 10 or more free throws in five games this season, finishing with 25 or more points in all of those outings. He has now recorded at least 28 points in three straight contests.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Usage monster in loss
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Williamson provided 29 points (10-17 FG, 9-10 FT), five rebounds, 10 assists and three steals in 38 minutes during Tuesday's 119-112 loss to the Thunder. He also had five turnovers.
Williamson led all players with 26 true possessions Tuesday. Williamson being careless with the rock is a notable blemish, but it's simultaneously a testament to how often the offense runs through him. Despite the stout rim protection of Chet Holmgren and the admirable physicality of Luguentz Dort, it's still a troubling trend that Williamson did not score in the final six minutes of Tuesday's narrow loss.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Impresses offensively as top scorer
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Williamson finished with 36 points (13-14 FG, 10-14 FT), seven rebounds, six assists and two steals in 36 minutes during Sunday's 114-101 victory over the Pistons.
Williamson led all players in Sunday's contest in scoring behind a strong performance from the free-throw line to go along with leading the Pelicans starters in rebounds while handing out a half-dozen assists in a well-rounded performance. Williamson matched a season-high mark in scoring, recording 36 points in two other games this year. He tallied his second game of the year with at least 35 points, five rebounds and five assists. Williamson has connected on 10 or more free throws in four outings, his first such performance since Dec. 31.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Scores 20 vs. Orlando
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Williamson finished Thursday's 121-106 loss to the Magic with 20 points (8-15 FG, 4-6 FT), seven rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals over 29 minutes.
Williamson extended his streak of 20-plus points to seven games during Thursday's loss. While he has taken care of the ball better as of late, he was responsible for eight of the Pelicans' 18 turnovers against the Magic, which marks a season high for Williamson. He'll look to take better care of the ball Friday against the Heat in the second game of a back-to-back.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Pours in game-high 28
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Williamson amassed 28 points (11-16 FG, 6-6 FT), seven rebounds, four assists and one steal across 33 minutes during Tuesday's 104-91 victory over the Nets.
The 23-year-old forward led all scorers on the night as he topped 25 points for the fifth straight game. Williamson is averaging 29.6 points, 7.8 boards, 3.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks during his hot streak while shooting a stunning 66.3 percent from the floor. That pace isn't sustainable, but he's seeing big volume right now for the Pelicans, so even if his efficiency regresses, Williamson should still produce strong scoring numbers.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Pours in 33 in Wednesday's loss
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Williamson totaled a game-high 33 points (13-21 FG, 7-9 FT), nine rebounds, one assist and one steal in 35 minutes during Wednesday's 116-95 loss to Cleveland.
The 23-year-old forward topped 30 points for the first time since the All-Star break, but only two other Pelicans even scored in double digits on the night. Williamson continues to have trouble with consistency, but his upside remains undeniable. Over the last 10 games, the first overall pick in the 2019 Draft is averaging 22.0 points, 6.6 boards, 6.3 assists and 1.2 blocks while shooting 54.7 percent from the floor.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Stuffs stat sheet Sunday
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Williamson had 27 points (10-14 FG, 7-10 FT), six rebounds, seven assists and two blocks in 36 minutes during Sunday's 116-103 win over the Hawks.
Williamson was impressive from the field, missing just four of his 14 shots, but as has been the trend in recent games, he also left his mark in other categories. Williamson has evolved into an accomplished passer this season, which has unlocked a new variable to his game. Williamson is averaging 22.3 points, 7.0 assists, 6.3 rebounds and a combined 1.9 steals-plus-blocks over his last 10 appearances.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Notches double-double in win
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Williamson produced 23 points (7-14 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 9-9 FT), 12 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals over 35 minutes during Friday's 103-95 victory over the 76ers.
Williamson's 12 boards were a season high and marked the first time he hit double digits in that category since Dec. 28. The burly forward also had a campaign-best three blocks, so it's fair to say that this was one of his best all-around performances of the season. Williamson entered the game in a bit of an offensive slump, averaging just 12.0 points over his previous two contests.
