According to a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania over the weekend, former Duke basketball star and 2019 No. 1 draft pick Zion Williamson is “not close to a return” to the New Orleans Pelicans lineup, as the 6-foot-6, 285-pound forward continues to recover from a left hamstring injury. Charania added that the 24-year-old “has undergone multiple treatments.”

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Williamson, who has now sat out over half of New Orleans’ games since his rookie year, sustained the hamstring strain on Nov. 6 and hasn’t played since. Initially, the expectation was that he would miss four to six weeks. But Charania suggested that the two-time All-Star’s multiple hamstring strains as a pro may prove responsible for extending that timeline.

In six outings leading up to the latest setback in his injury-plagued career, Zion Williamson averaged 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.2 blocks across 31.0 minutes per game.

The 2024-25 New Orleans Pelicans, who have fallen to 4-13 this season following the franchise’s promising 49-33 campaign last go-round in returning to the NBA Playoffs, have been notably unlucky in the injury department.

As a result, they’ve relied heavily on the production of their other former Duke basketball one-and-done in one-time All-Star forward Brandon Ingram. The 27-year-old has been on the floor for all but one of their games, averaging 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in 33.7 minutes per contest.

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