Concerning Zion Williamson Injury Update Revealed

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson's return to the court is uncertain at this time.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) looks on from the bench against the Orlando Magic in the third quarter at Kia Center. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans 2024-2025 season couldn't have gotten off to a worse start. New Orleans is 4-18 on the year, the worst record in the Western Conference. The Pelicans are reeling from countless injuries to key players early this season and look like a shell of the game that 49 games last year.

All-star forward Zion Williamson is among the injured. He is out indefinitely with a hamstring injury. Williamson has only played in six games this year, averaging 22 points per game but shooting a career-low 45% from the field. The former No. 1 overall pick has an extensive hamstring history, causing him to miss significant time on the court.

ESPN insider Shams Charania recently spoke on the Pat McAfee Show about Williamson's timeline for a possible return, saying, "Zion Williamson has been out for about a month, and he's not close to coming back... That hamstring has been a chronic issue for him."

"Zion Williamson has been out for about a month and he's not close to coming back..

That hamstring has been a chronic issue for him"@ShamsCharania #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/vIyHXCHrKZ

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 3, 2024

Williamson had the healthiest season of his career last year, playing in 70 of the 82 regular season games for New Orleans. After playing a dominant game against the Los Angeles Lakers, where Zion scored 40 points, the two-time all-star injured his hamstring late in the fourth quarter, causing him to miss the remainder of that game and the playoffs.

The season before that, Williamson had the Pelicans in first place in the Western Conference through the first month and a half of the year before he again injured his hamstring in January, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season. Zion's availability for games is a hot-button topic around the NBA. Williamson has played less than 50% of the team's games since being drafted in 2019.

With no timetable for a return, the Pelicans hope to dig themselves out of their early-season hole and try to compete for a Play-In spot later this season. New Orleans has made the Play-In Tournament the last three seasons, making the playoffs in two of those years. Williamson signed a contract extension with New Orleans in 2022.

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