Zion Williamson Will Be Evaluated In Three Weeks After Suffering A Hamstring Injury

Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans are enjoying a strong 2022-23 season, posting a 23-14 record and projecting quite well in the muddled Western Conference. Williamson recently spearheaded a comeback win with a 43-point masterpiece against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and he has been a force in 29 of the Pelicans’ first 37 games after missing the entire 2021-22 campaign. Unfortunately, Williamson is going to be on the shelf for a while, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reporting he will miss “multiple weeks” with a hamstring strain.

The team went on to announce that Williamson will be evaluated in three weeks.

Williamson left the team’s road loss in Philadelphia on Monday with the hamstring issue and, while this isn’t a worst-scenario, a multi-week absence isn’t fantastic. He is averaging 26.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game with elite efficiency (65.2 percent true shooting), and Williamson is also making clear strides on the defensive end. In addition, the Pelicans have a +7.8 net rating with Williamson on the floor this season, with New Orleans dipping to a modest +1.4 net rating when he’s on the bench.

The Pelicans host the Houston Rockets in a favorable matchup on Wednesday but, after that, the schedule gets more difficult. New Orleans takes on the scalding-hot Brooklyn Nets at home on Friday before a five-game road trip that includes visits to Dallas, Boston, and Cleveland. It remains to be seen as to just how long Williamson will be out but, with Brandon Ingram sidelined since late November, the Pelicans will have less firepower for a while.