Zion Williamson has been ruled out for the Pelicans’ play-in tournament game against the Thunder on Wednesday, and the star forward isn’t thrilled about having to sit on the sideline.
“The s--- sucks, I don’t know how else to say it,” Williamson said, via The Athletic’s Will Guillory. “The s--- sucks. I love this game. ... For those people who think I just want to sit on the sideline just to sit over there, I don’t know why people think that. Nah, it sucks. I just want to be playing basketball.”
The former No. 1 pick hasn’t played since Jan. 2 due to a hamstring strain. It’s unknown when he might get the green light to return to action, but a recent report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania noted that Williamson could be out for the entirety of the playoffs even if the Pelicans advance past the play-in tournament.
Williamson provided an update on his hamstring strain while speaking with reporters on Tuesday. He admitted that not being fully recovered from the injury makes him worry that returning to action too soon will impact the team negatively.
“When I re-aggravated it back in February, it was tough,” Williamson said, via Guillory. “When I go to make certain moves, there is that hesitation. … I understand the magnitude of these games coming up, and I don’t want to be out there hesitating or doing something that may affect my team in a bad way.”
This isn’t Williamson’s first experience with an injury keeping him out of the action during his NBA career. In his rookie season back in 2019, the Pelicans star tore his meniscus. The following season, he suffered a fractured thumb. Then he missed the entire 2021–22 season because of a fracture in his right foot.
Williamson has yet to make his NBA playoff debut, as he missed the Pelicans’ trip to the postseason in 2021-22.
