Zion Williamson is again.
THE Pelicans introduced that Williamson will return to the court docket Tuesday for New Orleans’ sport in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Williamson has missed the final 27 video games with a hamstring pressure. He has performed in simply six of the Pelicans’ 36 video games this season.
Amid a sequence of accidents to key gamers, the Pelicans are off to the worst begin within the Western Convention with a 7-29 file. Brandon Ingram, Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy III are among the many Pelicans gamers who’ve missed important time as a result of accidents this season.
Williamson on the sidelines has turn out to be a well-recognized chorus for the reason that Pelicans chosen him with the No. 1 choose within the 2019 draft. Williamson has performed in simply 190 of the Pelicans’ 426 common season video games since becoming a member of the workforce as a result of numerous accidents.
He has performed in 29 video games or fewer in three completely different seasons, together with lacking your complete 2021-22 marketing campaign with a foot harm. Williamson has performed in 70 video games through the 2023-24 season, probably the most of his NBA profession.
He returns to a workforce nonetheless with out former All-Star Ingram, who has been sidelined with an ankle harm for the previous 12 video games. Murray, McCollum, Jones and Murphy all returned from long-term absences, though Murphy was dominated out of Tuesday’s sport with a sprained ankle and Murray is enjoying by means of elbow soreness.
Regardless of Williamson’s harm historical past, the Pelicans signed him to a five-year, $197 million max extension in 2022 that runs by means of the 2027-28 season. The ultimate three seasons of the deal wouldn’t be assured as a result of a sport performed clause that has been triggered whereas he has solely performed 29 video games within the 2022-23 season.
When wholesome, Williamson is an imposing inside power on the court docket. Throughout his profession, he averaged 24.6 factors, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists whereas capturing 58.7% from the sphere. He averaged 22.7 factors, eight rebounds and 5.3 assists within the six video games he performed this season.
