The New Orleans Pelicans are cementing their spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament as they are playing much better basketball as of late. The addition of CJ McCollum ahead of the NBA trade deadline has proven to be a major factor, as McCollum is carrying the team with Brandon Ingram sidelined because of an injury.
With that duo in place, the Pelicans are going to be a tough out for whoever they are facing in the Play-In Tournament should they qualify. They are currently 2.5 games ahead of the 11th place San Antonio Spurs with 11 games remaining in their season.
Unfortunately for them, they will not be seeing their new Big 3 in action this season. According to The Athletic, Zion Williamson will not be able to get back on the court this season.
“Sources said Zion Williamson is not expected to return to play this season, but that he is making progress toward on-court work. So far, Williamson has been seen doing stationary shooting and is able to bear weight on his injured foot. New Orleans has 11 regular-season games remaining, which leaves an improbably tight window for Williamson to complete the team’s ramp-up stages ranging from one-on-zero to five-on-five scrimmaging.”
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: NBA Exec Reveals Dark-Horse Trade Destination For Zion Williamson
Williamson has not appeared in a game this season after undergoing a procedure on his fractured foot in the offseason. There was some optimism that he would be ready to get back on the court for opening night, but that was overly ambitious.
Williamson did look close to returning to the court around Thanksgiving, which is when he was ramping things up in his rehab. However, he began experiencing some soreness in the foot and his activity was dialed back.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: NBA Exec Reveals Dark-Horse Trade Destination For Zion Williamson
That setback pretty much ended Williamson’s chances of returning to the court, as he hasn’t gotten close to that level of activity since. But, he has been making progress since receiving an injection and has returned to the team.
“Williamson returned to New Orleans two weeks ago after rehabbing his fractured foot injury in Portland, and the 21-year-old has been cleared to gradually progress in basketball activities. He has been attending Pelicans home games and has appeared to be in positive spirits around teammates and coaches. Williamson underwent surgery to repair his broken foot last summer and had several return targets delayed this season.”
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: NBA Exec Reveals Dark-Horse Trade Destination For Zion Williamson
Without Zion Williamson in the lineup, the New Orleans Pelicans aren’t anywhere near as dangerous of a team. But, this is certainly a squad with some potential should they be able to get him back onto the court for the 2022-23 season.
