Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Sidelined at least two more weeks
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Williamson (hamstring) has been cleared for on-court activities and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
While Williamson has seemingly taken a step forward in his recovery, the star big man is effectively ruled out for the remainder of the regular season. Depending on how the re-evaluation goes in two weeks, there is a chance Williamson could make an appearance at the end of the regular season or early in the postseason, should the Pelicans secure a spot, but he would likely be heavily restricted after a multi-month absence.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Out at least two more weeks
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The Pelicans announced Wednesday that Williamson's strained right hamstring continues to heal, but he'll be re-evaluated in two weeks before the team decides his next steps.
New Orleans' most recent report on Williamson similarly indicated that he was making good progress, and though a recent MRI reportedly showed improved healing, the team is still unwilling to commit to a precise target date for the big man to resume playing. Even if Williamson is cleared to resume on-court activity following his upcoming two-week re-evaluation, he probably won't be fully ramped up until April, meaning that managers in redraft leagues that end relatively soon should feel comfortable with dropping him. Williamson last played Jan. 2 and has appeared in only 29 games this season.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Making good progress
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Williamson (right hamstring strain) is making good progress and will undergo an MRI next week, ESPN's Andrew Lopez reports.
Williamson hasn't seen the floor since Jan. 2 and suffered a setback Feb. 12. The latest report from the Pelicans is positive, and there should be a better idea of his timetable after his MRI. In the meantime, CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram will see elevated usage and Josh Richardson will continue to be a big factor in his new role.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Suffers setback, out indefinitely
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Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said Sunday that Williamson aggravated his right hamstring injury and will be sidelined for several more weeks, Christian Clark of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Williamson, who last played Jan. 2, had recently progressed to 3-on-3 work in practice and was expected to be re-evaluated during the All-Star break, but he'll now be sidelined at least through the end of February and quite likely the first half of March, if not longer. The 2019 No. 1 overall pick has missed 169 games -- and counting -- while playing in only 114 contests since being drafted. If he doesn't play in at least 12 more games this season, he'll have missed the majority of the regular season in three of his first four NBA campaigns. Injuries have certainly been the prevailing narrative of Williamson's career so far, but when available, he's been nothing short of an All-NBA talent. In his prolonged absence, the seventh-place Pelicans will continue to rely heavily on CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram. Williamson may have a chance to return to action when the fantasy playoffs begin in many leagues, but managers in redraft formats may be better off dropping him in favor of a healthy player in light of his latest setback.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Officially out through break
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Pelicans head coach Willie Green confirmed Tuesday that Williamson (hamstring) will sit out the team's final three games before the All-Star Game and will be re-evaluated during the midseason break, Andrew Lopez of ESPN.com reports.
By the time the Pelicans play their first game of the second half Feb. 23, Williamson will have missed 22 consecutive absences. Injuries remain the prevailing narrative of Williamson's career, as the 2019 No. 1 overall pick has appeared in just 114 games in the four years since joining the league. Another update on where he stands in his recovery and how close he might be to playing should be provided after the All-Star festivities.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Unlikely to play before break
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Williamson (hamstring) is not expected to play before the All-Star break, Will Guillory of The Athletic reports.
An official update regarding Williamson may emerge soon, but coach Willie Green said he doesn't anticipate having the Opening Night starting five before the All-Star break -- obviously hinting where Williamson stands in his recovery. Assuming that's the case, his next chance to play would arrive Feb. 23 in Toronto. Williamson last played Jan. 2 against the 76ers and is averaging 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.1 steals in 33.0 minutes this season.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Another re-evaluation in two weeks
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The Pelicans announced Tuesday that Williamson (hamstring) will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Williamson was previously re-evaluation this week, with the Pelicans determining that his strained right hamstring was healing as expected. Despite that positive development, Williamson will still need further time to strengthen his hamstring and progress to more movement, which he'll do over the next two weeks before the Pelicans decide on his next steps. Naji Marshall (toe), Jaxson Hayes and others should continue filling Williamson's vacated frontcourt minutes. Based on the upcoming re-evaluation, Williamson now looks to be in store for a return in the second week of February in a best-case scenario, but it wouldn't be surprising if the Pelicans elected to hold him out through the All-Star break.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Sidelined at least three weeks
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Williamson (hamstring) will be re-evaluated in three weeks.
Williamson underwent an MRI on his right hamstring earlier in the day, and it appears the issue is severe enough to warrant at least three weeks on the sidelines. During the big man's absence, Naji Marshall, Jaxson Hayes and others figure to benefit with additional playing time.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Facing multi-week absence
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Williamson (hamstring) is expected to be sidelined for multiple weeks, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Williamson underwent an MRI of the hamstring earlier in the day, and the results don't appear to be favorable. The star big man has a history of lengthy injuries through just three years in the league and will now add another one to the list. Naji Marshall seems the likely candidate to benefit most in his absence.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Won't play Wednesday
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Williamson (hamstring) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against Houston, Andrew Lopez of ESPN.com reports.
Williamson left Monday's contest in the third quarter due to a hamstring injury and will remain sidelined for at least one additional game. Head coach Willie Green said Tuesday that he doesn't have an update on imaging yet, so further details on Williamson's injury and potential return timeline should be available when those test results are released. However, it's unclear when that'll be.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Exits Monday with hamstring strain
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Williamson suffered a right hamstring strain and won't return to Monday's contest against the 76ers, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
The big man exited in the third quarter with the injury, finishing the night with 26 points (10-12 FG, 6-8 FT), seven assists and six rebounds in 28 minutes before departing. While the extent of the injury is unknown, it wouldn't be surprising if Williamson was forced to miss at least one additional game. If Williamson is sidelined for any period of time, the likes of Naji Marshall, Larry Nance, Jaxson Hayes and Willy Hernangomez could all help fill his minutes to some degree. New Orleans retakes the floor Wednesday against the Rockets, but Williamson's status for that contest likely won't be known until the Pelicans release their next injury report.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Drops 43 points on Minnesota
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Williamson notched a career-high 43 points (14-21 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 14-19 FT) to go with five assists, three rebounds, one block and one steal over 34 minutes during Wednesday's 119-118 win over the Timberwolves.
Williamson didn't miss a beat Wednesday after missing the last three contests while returning to competition conditioning and working through the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols. As usual, Williamson was hyper-efficient from the field, and he converted his season-high 19 free-throw rates at an acceptable rate as well. Williamson also made his mark on the defensive end by registering a block for the third time in his last four appearances.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Officially available Wednesday
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Williamson (conditioning) is available Wednesday against Minnesota.
Williamson sat out the last three games due to a combination of the league's health and safety protocols and return to competition conditioning. However, he practiced Tuesday and has been cleared for game action Wednesday. He averaged 40.3 minutes per game over his three appearances prior to his absence, but his playing time may be monitored during his first game back.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Likely available Wednesday
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Head coach Willie Green said Williamson (conditioning) practiced Tuesday and will be listed as probable for Wednesday's game against the Timberwolves, Andrew Lopez of ESPN.com reports.
Williamson missed back-to-back games due to health and safety protocols and was ruled out for a third straight contest Monday due to conditioning purposes. However, after practicing Tuesday, it appears like the superstar forward is on track to suit up Wednesday. Before being sidelined, the 2019 No. 1 overall pick had scored in double figures in 13 straight games, posting 27.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals in 35.2 minutes during that stretch.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Officially out Monday
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Williamson (conditioning) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Pacers, Christian Clark of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Williamson had missed the last two games due to the league's health and safety protocols, and he was doubtful ahead of Monday's matchup due to return to competition conditioning. His next chance to suit up will be Wednesday against Minnesota.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Unlikely to play Monday
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Williamson (conditioning) is doubtful for Monday's game against Indiana.
Williamson was initially left off the injury report for Monday's matchup after missing the last two games due to the league's health and safety protocols. However, he's apparently dealing with some conditioning concerns and will likely be forced to sit out a third consecutive matchup Monday. Naji Marshall will likely see increased playing time against the Pacers.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Not on Monday's injury report
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Williamson (COVID-19 protocols) isn't on the injury report for Monday's game against the Pacers, Jim Eichenhofer of the Pelicans' official site reports.
Williamson was sidelined for the last two games due to the league's health and safety protocols, but he'll be back in action against Indiana. He's scored at least 25 points in nine of his last 10 appearances and has averaged 29.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.5 steals in 36.6 minutes per game during that time.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Out again Friday
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Williamson (COVID-19 protocols) remains out for Friday's game versus the Thunder.
Williamson was placed in the health and safety protocols ahead of Thursday's tilt versus the Spurs, so this seemed the likely outcome for the star big man. He will have some additional days to clear protocols this time around, as the Pelicans don't retake the floor until Monday versus the Pacers. Larry Nance (Achilles), if healthy, Naji Marshall, and the other forwards should have additional minutes to claim in the interim.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Won't play Thursday
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Williamson is in the NBA's health and safety protocols and won't suit up for Thursday's game versus the Spurs, Jim Eichenhofer of the Pelicans' official site reports.
Williamson has been on a tear during December, averaging 28.8 points, 8.1 rebounds 5.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game, but things will hit a screeching halt as he takes a game or two off while working to clear the league's health and safety protocols. While his next chance to return arrives Friday against the Thunder, Monday versus the Pacers seems more realistic. In his absence, more minutes should be available for Naji Marshall, Larry Nance (Achilles) and other forwards.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Slow night against Bucks
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Williamson chipped in 18 points (7-16 FG, 4-8 FT), seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals in 40 minutes during Monday's 128-119 loss to the Bucks.
Williamson had to deal with Giannis Antetokounmpo all game long, so that might be the explanation for why he had a rough night as a scorer. That said, he still ended just three rebounds and three assists shy of posting a triple-double while also ending just one steal away from tying his season-best output in that category. The former Duke star has been an absolute stud this season, averaging 25.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game in 2022-23.
