After losing to the Los Angeles Lakers during the first round of the Play-In Tournament, the New Orleans Pelicans are now set to face off against the Sacramento Kings. A win here would propel the team toward the playoffs and allow them to face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder. A loss would send them down to the lottery. The stakes are the highest that they have faced this season, and the Pelicans will be looking to use their full offensive prowess to put up a points total that the Kings can’t touch. Unfortunately, they will have to do so without the presence of their leading scorer.

NBC Reporter Dalton Johnson recently took to his official X account to mention details from the Pelicans’ Injury Report. He highlighted that “Zion Williamson (left hamstring) and Cody Zeller (face) are the only two Pelicans on the injury report for tomorrow’s play-in game”. While Zeller, who only appeared in 43 of the Pelicans’ 82 games this season, is available, Williamson has unfortunately been declared “OUT”. This update is a big blow for the team, as they will have to face an offensive lineup made up of De’Aaron Fox and co without the one player who has created the most impact on their success this season.

Zion Williamson developed a hamstring injury during the Pelicans’ previous clash against the Los Angeles Lakers. During his 36 minutes on the court, the player managed to drop a score of 40 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists. It was higher than any of his teammates or rivals had accumulated at that point of time. However, after delivering a spectacular floater amidst the crowd’s cheers, he reportedly started limping and had to be benched. With just three minutes left on the timer, onlookers at the Smoothie King Center saw as Williamson got up, threw away his towel in frustration, walked towards the locker room and didn’t come out until the game had concluded. While the Play-In clash allowed the 23-year-old power forward to deliver his best performance of the season, it came at the cost of forming a cloud of uncertainty for the Pelicans during this crucial stage.

According to ESPN, Williamson is set to be re-evaluated within the next few weeks. Their report also indicated but didn’t confirm, that the player’s absence from future games can go beyond the Kings clash. It can extend even beyond the play-in tournament.

The Sacramento Kings are yet to release their Injury Report. In light of this unfortunate update, the Pelicans can still find hope in Brandon Ingram, who recently returned to the main lineup after a 12-game hiatus. Furthermore, the team holds an 8-2 record against their rivals. Therefore, all hope may not be lost for now.

How have the Pelicans performed with and without Zion Williamson?

Zion Williamson may not have performed as well as he did during his three previous seasons. However, he still accumulated an average score of 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5 assists, the highest in his team. His presence had been a big help to the Pelicans during the regular season, while his absence caused a hindrance in their momentum.

During the last 70 games featuring Williamson as a contender, the Pelicans had established a W/L record of 42-28. His 12-game absence this season did not affect the franchise much, as they still managed to establish a 7-5 record without him.

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During the last 3 games without Williamson, various players from the Pelicans offensive lineup had come forward to lead their team. Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas dropped a combined 49 points to win against the Rockets in January. Trey Murphy III and Ingram worked with two others to contribute double digits each and establish a close win against the Trail Blazers. While their most recent Williamson-less game against the Spurs ended in a loss, the gap was just 2 points.

With Zion Williamson out of the picture, do you think that the New Orleans Pelicans have the potential to take on the Sacramento Kings? Let us know in the comments down below.