It may be November, but it’s Groundhog Day in New Orleans.
Zion Williamson is out indefinitely with a left hamstring strain, the team announced Saturday.
The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that forward Zion Williamson has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain. Medical imaging taken this morning confirmed the injury. Williamson will be out indefinitely and further updates will be appropriately provided. pic.twitter.com/DPG4dRf5MY
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 9, 2024
There is no timeline for a return and it depends on the severity of the hamstring strain, which the Pelicans are not making public. ESPN’s Shams Charania reports, “Williamson will be re-evaluated in the coming weeks,” which is vague but suggests a couple of weeks at least and maybe a month or more.
Williamson has missed three of the last four Pelicans games, one of them due to a right hamstring strain and now comes this, more serious, left hamstring issue. The left hamstring was the one Zion strained against the Lakers during the Play-In game and sidelined him for the team’s entire first-round playoff series against the Thunder (an Oklahoma City sweep).
New Orleans must have done something to anger the basketball gods because their roster has been devastated by injuries. The list of players out right now:
• Zion Williamson (hamstring strain)
• Dejounte Murray (fractured left hand)
• CJ McCollum (right adductor strain)
• Trey Murphy III (hamstring strain, may return Monday)
• Herbert Jones (right shoulder strain)
• Jordan Hawkins (lower back strain)
Those are key rotation players sidelined, not players deep on the bench.
With that, it’s unsurprising that the Pelicans are off to a rough 3-7 start and sit 14th in the West. The hope is the healthy players can keep the team in striking distance of a postseason spot and the Pelicans can make a push once everyone gets healthy. Whenever that might be.
