Another lost season for Pelicans, Zion Williamson almost complete with latest update

While "not close" isn't exactly specific, with the Pelicans (31-34) on the edge of the Play-In Tournament and their season going down the drain, it wouldn't be a surprise if Williamson doesn't suit up for the team's final 17 regular-season contests.

The 2022-23 campaign began with such high hopes for both the 22-year-old forward and New Orleans, as he played in 29 of the team's first 38 games after signing a five-year rookie max extension worth $193 million guaranteed in early July. The team got off to a red-hot start, holding the top spot in the Western Conference standings as late as Dec. 12 with an 18-8 record.

That same day, Williamson was named the Western Conference Player of the Week and on Dec. 28, he poured in a career-high 43 points in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Pelicans were still in third place in the conference at 23-14 after their second straight defeat on Jan. 2, but that was the last time that Williamson appeared on the floor and since then, the group has gone 8-20, is now in 10th place and is only ahead of the 13th-place Utah Jazz by one game in the loss column.

Despite some hope in late January when fellow Duke product Brandon Ingram returned from a two-month injury absence, New Orleans haven't been able to realistically compete without Williamson. Two weeks after Williamson played in his most recent game, the Pelicans went on a brutal 10-game losing streak, sending them from the top section of the standings to barely alive in the race to make the Play-In Tournament.

Before the lefty went down, he was having arguably his best season. Through 29 contests, Williamson was averaging 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 33.0 minutes per game, while posting career highs in assists (4.6), steals (1.1) and blocks (0.6) and shooting 60.8% from the field.

If Williamson is indeed done for the regular season, it'll mark the third time in his four-year career that he's played in fewer than 30 games, and it'll effectively put an end to the franchise's 21st season.