Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Sidelined at least two more weeks
Rotowire
Williamson (hamstring) has been cleared for on-court activities and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
While Williamson has seemingly taken a step forward in his recovery, the star big man is effectively ruled out for the remainder of the regular season. Depending on how the re-evaluation goes in two weeks, there is a chance Williamson could make an appearance at the end of the regular season or early in the postseason, should the Pelicans secure a spot, but he would likely be heavily restricted after a multi-month absence.
Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Out at least two more weeks
Rotowire
The Pelicans announced Wednesday that Williamson's strained right hamstring continues to heal, but he'll be re-evaluated in two weeks before the team decides his next steps.
New Orleans' most recent report on Williamson similarly indicated that he was making good progress, and though a recent MRI reportedly showed improved healing, the team is still unwilling to commit to a precise target date for the big man to resume playing. Even if Williamson is cleared to resume on-court activity following his upcoming two-week re-evaluation, he probably won't be fully ramped up until April, meaning that managers in redraft leagues that end relatively soon should feel comfortable with dropping him. Williamson last played Jan. 2 and has appeared in only 29 games this season.
Williamson (right hamstring strain) is making good progress and will undergo an MRI next week, ESPN's Andrew Lopez reports.
Williamson hasn't seen the floor since Jan. 2 and suffered a setback Feb. 12. The latest report from the Pelicans is positive, and there should be a better idea of his timetable after his MRI. In the meantime, CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram will see elevated usage and Josh Richardson will continue to be a big factor in his new role.
Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Suffers setback, out indefinitely
Rotowire
Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said Sunday that Williamson aggravated his right hamstring injury and will be sidelined for several more weeks, Christian Clark of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Williamson, who last played Jan. 2, had recently progressed to 3-on-3 work in practice and was expected to be re-evaluated during the All-Star break, but he'll now be sidelined at least through the end of February and quite likely the first half of March, if not longer. The 2019 No. 1 overall pick has missed 169 games -- and counting -- while playing in only 114 contests since being drafted. If he doesn't play in at least 12 more games this season, he'll have missed the majority of the regular season in three of his first four NBA campaigns. Injuries have certainly been the prevailing narrative of Williamson's career so far, but when available, he's been nothing short of an All-NBA talent. In his prolonged absence, the seventh-place Pelicans will continue to rely heavily on CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram. Williamson may have a chance to return to action when the fantasy playoffs begin in many leagues, but managers in redraft formats may be better off dropping him in favor of a healthy player in light of his latest setback.
