The New Orleans Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson is expected to be sidelined longer than expected as he nurses a hamstring injury, according to ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania.
Williamson initially suffered a hamstring injury in early November and was expected to miss up to four weeks. However, his rehabilitation process has dragged out despite multiple treatments, and the Pelicans now expect that their franchise cornerstone won’t be back on the court for an extended period.
This would be terrible news for Pelicans, considering that they have been dealing with a number of other injuries lately. Besides Williamson, they are also without All-Star Dejounte Murray, veteran CJ McCollum, forward Herb Jones, and point guard Jose Alvarado.
Meanwhile, Williamson spoke with reporters on Friday and said that his rehab is “going great” and that he is currently working on mobility and strengthening different areas in order to take the stress off his hamstring. However, he pointed out that there are “protocols and guidelines” he needs to follow before returning to action.
“Rehab is going great. On track. That’s all I can do right now,” Williamson said.
After playing 70 games last season, his most as a pro, Williamson was limited to six games in 2024-25 so far. He has averaged 22.7 points and a career-high 8.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game.
