The New Orleans Pelicans have gotten off to a brutal start in the 2021-22 NBA season. They have dealt with numerous injuries, which has put them in a deep hole, compiling a record of 2-14 thus far.
That hole may already be too deep to climb out of, as they are five games out of the NBA Play-In Tournament. That is what happens when you are playing a majority of the season without your two best players in Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.
Ingram has at least appeared in nine out of the 16 games this season. They are still awaiting Williamson to make his debut. He is recovering from a right foot fracture that was suffered over the summer.
This is the second time in three seasons that Williamson has missed a large chunk of the season right out the gate. He missed the first 13 weeks of his rookie season recovering from a knee injury. There was some hope he would return to the court for the beginning of the season, but that turned out to not be true.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Is Pelicans’ Season Appears Over Before Zion Williamson’s Starts?
He has missed 16 games and counting thus far this season, but there may finally be a light at the end of the tunnel. Williamson is taking a step toward returning to the court, as he has been cleared to participate in contact drills.
That is certainly good news for Williamson and the Pelicans. 1-of-1 workouts will be where he starts and the team will take things from there.
Williamson will have scans on his foot on November 24th, at which point it will be determined if he can participate in full-team workouts. Then we should receive a more concrete date the team will be aiming for him to make his season debut.
The Pelicans play four games between now and November 24th, so Zion Williamson will be missing at least 20 to begin the season. He will likely need some time to ramp up his conditioning and get some five-on-five reps in, should he be cleared at that next scan visitation.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Is Pelicans’ Season Appears Over Before Zion Williamson’s Starts?
If those scans go well, December 1st, after the New Orleans Pelicans return from a quick three-game trip against the Utah Jazz and LA Clippers, could be a realistic date for him to get back on the court. That would be a total of 23 games missed and another lost season for the Pelicans.
