For the last couple of years, many people have been expecting the New Orleans Pelicans to morph into contenders, but they haven’t done so, and one reason has been injuries.
They have already suffered from a massive rash of injuries this season, and one man who is currently sidelined is forward Zion Williamson.
Williamson has a hamstring injury, and according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, he isn’t close to returning despite getting multiple treatments.
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 he was the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Williamson has been a tremendous force in the paint when he has been healthy, and he has averaged 24.6 points a game on 58.7 percent field-goal shooting for his career.
But for whatever reason, he simply cannot stay healthy — he has played in a total of just 190 games over five seasons.
Joining Williamson on the injured list right now for the Pelicans are starting guards CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray, as well as Jose Alvarado, Herbert Jones and Jordan Hawkins, among others.
With such a short-handed roster, New Orleans has a 4-12 record going into Friday’s game against the Golden State Warriors, which is the second-worst record in the Western Conference.
Perhaps they could still make a run at a play-in tournament spot if they start getting healthy soon, but that is a big if.
Since Williamson came to New Orleans, the team has made the playoffs only twice, and it has won just one playoff series since the 2007-08 season when it came within one win of the Western Conference Finals.
