The New Orleans Pelicans announced Tuesday that forward Zion Williamson has begun rehabbing a strained left hamstring and is expected to return to full practice next week.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has been sidelined since Nov. 6 with a strained left hamstring
Williamson has been sidelined due to injury since November 6 and has played only 6 games this season, averaging 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. According to the Pelicans, he is considered the best player every week.
Although Williamson was scheduled to return in late December, Charania said earlier this month that his absence could extend beyond that as he rehabs parts of his body that have “suffered from multiple strains over the past few years.”
#pelicans Medical Update:
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) December 24, 2024
In six games this season (all starts), Williamson averaged 31 minutes per game, 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.2 blocks, shooting 45.2% from the field and 33.3 from three-point range. %, shooting rate is 66.7%.
The 24-year-old Williamson finally had a healthy season in 2023-24, playing in a career-high 70 games and averaging 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
New Orleans' projected starting five has been hampered by injuries this season
The Pelicans' projected starting five players have all missed several games this season. Dejounte Murray, acquired in an offseason trade with the Atlanta Hawks, missed 17 games with a broken left hand.
Despite the injury, Murray became the third player in Pelicans history to dish out 10 assists in his first game with the team. The All-Star guard joins Elfrid Payton (2018) and Baron Davis (2002).
Murray also had just one turnover in New Orleans' season opener against the Chicago Bulls. Last season with the Hawks, he only had 10 assists in two games and made one or fewer turnovers.
Additionally, Brandon Ingram has been sidelined since December 7 with a severe left ankle sprain. The Pelicans said Ingram is in the early stages of the recovery process and will be re-evaluated in about two weeks.
Jose Alvarado, who has been sidelined since Nov. 11 with a strained left hamstring, has begun his rehab phase and is expected to return week to week. He was injured in a 107-105 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on November 11.
Trey Murphy III's latest injury was a sprained left ankle in Sunday's game against the Denver Nuggets. Murphy is averaging career-highs of 19.3 points and 2.4 assists in 17 games (15 starts) this season.
The Pelicans (5-25) host the Houston Rockets (20-9) on Thursday.
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