New Orleans Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson has undergone multiple treatments on his left hamstring and is not close to a return, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Friday.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has been sidelined since suffering a left hamstring strain on Nov. 6
Williamson, 24, has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring strain on Nov. 6. However, sources said the two-time All-Star will remain out for an extended period of time.
The Pelicans are expecting Williamson to be sidelined for at least four to six weeks, which places him out through mid-December. The 6-foot-6, 284-pound wing has appeared in just six of New Orleans’ 17 games this season.
Although Williamson is slated to return in late December, Charania said his absence could extend beyond that considering he is rehabilitating a body part “that has sustained multiple strains over the past few years.”
Pelicans star Zion Williamson has undergone multiple treatments on his left hamstring and is not close to a return to action, sources told @ShamsCharania on Friday.
Williamson has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring strain on Nov. 6. https://t.co/NRsuNTstBR
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 22, 2024
Since the Pelicans selected Williamson No. 1 overall out of Duke in the 2019 draft, the South Carolina native has missed 211 out of a possible 401 regular-season games.
Through six games (all starts) this season, Williamson has averaged 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 31 minutes per contest while shooting 45.2% from the field, 33.3% from 3-point range, and 66.7% at the free throw line.
Williamson has already missed the Pelicans’ past seven games after suffering the injury in a Nov. 6 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He appeared in a career-high 70 games last season.
Other key players on New Orleans’ injury report include CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, and Jose Alvarado
Furthermore, Williamson was optimistic about his recovery process when speaking to reporters on Friday. The All-Star forward said that he’s still following guidelines as he looks to return.
“Rehab is going great,” he told Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com. “On track. That’s all I can do right now.”
New Orleans has lost several key players to injuries through just 17 games. Offseason acquisition Dejounte Murray fractured his hand in the team’s season opener.
Four others have also missed time: CJ McCollum (hip), Herb Jones (shoulder), Trey Murphy III (hamstring), and Jose Alvarado (hamstring). Of those players, only Murphy has returned.
With New Orleans’ 112-108 loss at Golden State in an NBA Cup game Friday night, the Pelicans (4-13) have now lost four straight and 10 of their past 11 games.
