The New Orleans Pelicans are in free fall, and their best player will not be back on the court anytime soon.
On Wednesday, the Pelicans said Zion Williamson will miss at least two more weeks with the right hamstring injury that has sidelined him since early January.
“Medical imaging revealed that Williamson’s hamstring continues to heal,” the Pelicans said in a statement. “His next examination will take place in approximately two weeks.”
Williamson suffered his initial right hamstring injury in a Jan. 2 game against the Philadelphia 76ers. He progressed to playing three-on-three before suffering a setback in mid-February. The Pelicans said Feb. 12 that Williamson would miss “multiple weeks” after the All-Star break.
So far, the Pelicans have gone 8-20 since Williamson went down in their first game of 2023. He will not be available for the next seven games at minimum.
The Pelicans have 10 regular-season games remaining after March 22, which is when Williamson will be reevaluated again.
“My first thought is for Z,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “It’s been tough, dealing with the hamstring. Working to get himself back. Then kind of having the same issue again. We’re always mindful of him. Then for the rest of the guys, we know where we are. Guys have to step up. It’s go time for us.”
The Pelicans had a 23-14 record on Jan. 2. They have dropped six of seven heading into Wednesday’s game against Dallas, having fallen to 31-34 overall. They are clinging to 10th place in the Western Conference — the lowest spot a team can finish and still be a part of the postseason.
Green said Williamson is able to do pool workouts. Williamson can shoot baskets but is otherwise limited in what he is able to do on the court.
“We’re extremely mindful of last time we got to six weeks, and he wasn’t quite ready,” Green said. “We want to make sure we’re mindful of that.”
In the 29 games Williamson has played in this season, he has averaged 26.0 points on 60.8% shooting, 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists. The 22-year-old star has appeared in just 114 games since the Pelicans chose him No. 1 overall in 2019.
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