Zion Williamson is almost ready to return.
The New Orleans Pelicans said that Williamson has “begun the return to play” phase of his recovery from a hamstring strain Tuesday. He’s going to be considered “week-to-week” moving forward, though it’s unclear when he will actually take the court again with the team. He is set to return to full practice next week.
Williamson first went down with the hamstring injury in a loss to the Cavaliers early last month, and he checked himself out of that game with the injury. He hasn’t played since. The team expected him to miss four-to-six weeks recovering, but it will be roughly two months at best if he’s able to return in early January.
Williamson, a former No. 1 overall pick out of Duke, has struggled to stay healthy for much of his career in the league. He’s missed more than half of the possible regular-season games he could have played in over his six seasons in the league, and missed the entire 2021-22 campaign with a foot injury. Williamson has averaged 22.7 points and eight rebounds in six games this season.
The Pelicans have been battered with injuries across the board this season. Along with Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, C.J. McCollum, Jordan Hawkins, Herb Jones, Jose Alvarado, Karlo Matković and Brandon Ingram have all missed time with various injuries. Ingram, who is out with a left ankle sprain, will be examined again in about two weeks. He’s averaged 22.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this season, his sixth with the team.
The Pelicans hold just a 5-25 record entering Thursday’s game against the Houston Rockets, which is the second-worst record in the league. They’ve lost seven straight and 16 of their last 17 games, too. While Williamson’s return won’t solve all of the Pelicans’ issues, it’s certainly a significant step in the right direction for New Orleans.