New Orleans will never be able to build anything meaningful without a solid foundation it can rely on.
Zion Williamson, who has missed more than half of the struggling Pelicans’ games this season, has been diagnosed with a grade 2 right hip adductor strain, the team announced. While the Pelicans would not put an official timeline on his return, he is going to miss “extended time” and will be re-evaluated in three weeks (but is likely out longer), reports Shams Charania of ESPN, a claim confirmed by others.
It’s unknown when the injury happened. Williamson played against the Warriors on Saturday night but sat out the second game of the back-to-back Sunday against the Lakers.
Advertisement
The Pelicans have been 9.8 points per 100 possessions better with Williamson on the court this season, and he has averaged 21.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in the 10 games he has played. New Orleans is a league-worst 3-18 on the season and — as has been much discussed around the league — does not control their own first-round pick, having traded away the rights to Atlanta to move up in last year’s draft and select Derik Queen.
Williamson’s injury history is long and well documented. He missed eight games earlier this season due to a hamstring strain, but since his return, he has played in 5 of 7 games for the Pelicans. The two-time All-Star played in just 30 games a season ago and has played in 65+ games just once in his six NBA seasons prior to this one (and he will not reach that threshold this season either).
It’s not just Williamson who has been injured this season, the Pelicans have had their five highest priced players miss time. Dejounte Murray remains out recovering from an Achilles tear suffered last season, Herbert Jones (calf), Trey Murphy III (elbow) and Jordan Poole (quad) also have been out.
