The night turned uneasy for the Pelicans the moment Zion Williamson left the floor. What followed against Detroit quickly became secondary. However, the night shifted towards Zion Williamson, who disappeared from the floor after just 15 minutes of gameplay. He walked to the locker room during the third quarter without a visible injury. Instead, an unknown illness ruled him out of the rest of the game.

Williamson had already been listed as questionable due to illness. However, he did suit up for his 30th game of the season. Williamson showed clear signs of imbalance and disorientation throughout most of the contest. Williamson finished with 4 points and 4 rebounds while battling the illness.

Without him, New Orleans struggled to maintain control. Detroit closed the game strong and secured a 112-104 win against a depleted Pelicans lineup.  In Zion Williamson‘s absence, players like Saddiq Bey, Trey Murphy III, Jordan Poole, and others tried to hold the reins. Detroit consistently held the upper hand.

The decision to play Williamson drew visible frustration. The star has already missed a considerable number of games this season, suiting for 30 appearances only. Recurring lower-body injuries have been a problem for the 25-year-old throughout his seven NBA seasons.

In fact, Zion Williamson started the current season on Nov 4 with a Grade 1 hamstring injury, which kept him sidelined. Meanwhile, the medical team diagnosed Williamson with a Grade 2 strain in his right hip adductor, an injury expected to sideline him for another five to six games.

Now, the biggest question is, when will Williamson return for the Pelicans?

Zion Williamson’s return timeline

The Pelicans’ HC, James Borrego, spoke to the media after  Wednesday’s loss. He addressed Williamson’s 15-minute performance and said, “He battled through, you know, illness and gave us his best shot. Obviously, he couldn’t go in the second half, but he’s trying to give us everything he has every day, and he continues to battle.” 

At present, the team has listed their star as day-to-day. This simply means that the 25-year-old’s condition isn’t severe and he might return to the floor soon. However, the Pelicans have yet to share updates about Williamson.

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When fit, Williamson is a treat to watch on the floor. Across 30 games, he has averaged 21.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.4 asg, and has a 58.2 FG%. Without him, the Pelicans need to focus on bringing the right replacements to fill in the void. The Pelicans must look inward for solutions.

The squad carries multiple big body options capable of covering the four spot. Kevon Looney, standing 6’9″, brings rebounding and defense after a recent addition. Alongside him, Karlo Matkovic, at 6’10”, supplies energy after already stepping in for Williamson.

Meanwhile, Hunter Dickinson (7’1″) can shift roles while protecting the rim. Rookie Derik Queen, at 6’10”, offers scoring and passing upside. Therefore, Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones can slide smaller. Pairing Looney or Matkovic with Yves Missi or DeAndre Jordan preserves balance for New Orleans.

So, now, only a solid statement from the team could solve all the trouble for the Pelicans. As it is, their 2025-26 NBA campaign has been tragic, to say the least. As they move forward, sitting on the last step of the Western Conference, Zion Williamson’s availability continues to haunt them like it has been doing for the last 7 seasons.