The New Orleans Pelicans announced Tuesday that star forward Zion Williamson has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain and will miss at least the next 7-10 days. He’ll be re-evaluated after that period.
The injury comes as the winless 0-6 Pelicans prepare to host the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday at Smoothie King Center, following a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. In that game, Williamson posted team highs with 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists.
At 25, Williamson leads New Orleans this season in scoring (22.8 PPG), rebounding (6.8 RPG), and assists (4.6 APG). However, hamstring injuries have plagued him in each of the past four seasons. Since being selected No. 1 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, he has played 61+ games in just two of his six seasons. Last year, he appeared in only 30 games before being shut down in March due to a back bone bruise.
Williamson had missed just one game this season prior to the injury—an Oct. 27 contest against the Boston Celtics due to a left foot bone contusion.
