The New Orleans Pelicans have looked lost to start this season. Already sitting at 0-6, the team has dealt with constant stagnant offenses, defensive breakdowns, and awkward rotations. For all the optimism surrounding them coming into the season, thanks to offseason tweaks and the supposed clean bill of health for star Zion Williamson, their start has completely eroded all hope. And now, things just got worse.

According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, Zion has been sidelined with a left hamstring strain and is set to be reevaluated after 7 to 10 days. This is already the second game the former All-Star has missed this season, having previously suffered a left foot bone contusion against the San Antonio Spurs, which caused him to sit out their matchup against the Boston Celtics. Despite his current injury being likely a minor strain, given Williamson’s medical history and the team’s cautious approach so far, missing just a week could feel like an eternity.

For a roster already struggling with consistency, this setback had taken away their only stabilizing force.

Multiple advanced statistics tell the story of a team in the middle of unraveling. The Pelicans rank near the bottom of the league in almost every metric: a horrid -18.3 net rating, a league-worst 108.3 offensive rating, a bottom-two 126.6 defensive rating. New Orleans is inefficient, with a 53.4% True Shooting Percentage, and are below average shooting from nearly every single point on the floor.

Even with Zion averaging decent counting stats and drawing attention, they’re barely generating any sort of rhythm. Now without him, their interior attack, one of the few potential strengths for the team, is likely to disappear entirely.

That’s the real issue here. Zion’s presence forces defenses to collapse, and draws opportunities for his teammates to get open shots or clean lanes. Even early in the season, Williamson has been one of the only bright spots on this team, leading the team in points, assists, and steals. Back in September, during Media Day, he had said, “I haven’t felt like this since college, high school, where I can walk in the gym and I feel good.” Now, despite all his offseason work, the Pelicans’ season now sits in jeopardy.

Pelicans Facing Mounting Pressure After Zion Injury and Costly Offseason Gamble

With Zion Williamson sidelined for more than a week, the Pelicans have to turn to their mix of offseason additions and young talent to stay afloat. Recently benched guard Jordan Poole and versatile reserve Saddiq Bey, who they acquired together in the summer trade with the Washington Wizards, now find themselves in a key moment to make themselves invaluable, especially when their production remains inconsistent. Poole has had flashes of scoring bursts, including a 30-point off-the-bench performance, and Bey has always been able to space the floor and be a physical presence.

Defensively, head coach Willie Green will likely lean even Harder on Herb Jones, the All-Defensive caliber forward the team recently extended with a three-year, $68 million deal. Veteran centers Kevon Looney and DeAndre Jordan and rookie Derik Queen are also expected to step up to help the team’s bottom-five rebounds per game average.

To make the team’s woes worse, new Pelicans executive Joe Dumars had traded the team’s unprotected first round pick this season to Atlanta during the 2025 Draft in one of the off-season’s most one-sided moves to move up in order to acquire Queen. On paper, it was a bet on rookie upside, but now, with New Orleans ailing this early into the season due to the rookies not being adjusted to NBA play and now missing Zion Williamson, the team has no lifeline waiting at the end of the season, especially if the pick falls into the lottery, or worse, top 10.