Latest Zion Williamson Health Update Helps Lakers’ Play-In Chances

LA is in a fight to the finish here.

Your 35-37 Los Angeles Lakers got a bit of an injury break today, when the 35-37 New Orleans Pelicans announced that All-Star forward Zion Williamson will resume his on-court activities, but needs to have his strained right hamstring reassessed in two weeks before he can return to the court.

As Andrew Lopez of ESPN astutely points out, that would put his return to the hardwood, at the earliest, at April 5th. New Orleans' final regular season game of the season is just four days later, April 9, against another Western Conference play-in club, the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Pellies have struggled mightily since Williamson went down in early January with the injury. When Williamson hurt his hamstring, New Orleans was 23-14. The team has since gone 12-23.

This is a huge break for your Los Angeles Lakers. Were Williamson to be returning within the next two weeks, he'd no doubt elevate the on-court performance of the Pelicans and help the team improve its chances of lapping the Lakers for a play-in tournament position. His continued absence gives LA a much better shot of making the play-in, even without All-Star LA small forward LeBron James..

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