Pelicans Announce Zion Williamson Decision After 8 Missed Games

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Nov 17, 2025 7:45 PM ET

Zion Williamson has missed the last eight games for the New Orleans Pelicans due to a lingering hamstring injury. The 25-year-old last saw action on Nov. 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but has since been sidelined as he continues to recover from the hamstring issue.

Incidentally, the Pelicans are set to face the defending champions again on Monday night, and it appeared that Williamson had a legitimate shot at returning to action for the first time in over two weeks.

New Orleans made its final decision on their superstar forward less than an hour before the Thunder game tipped off.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) during an NBA game.Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Williamson is currently in his fifth season with the Pelicans. He’s played just five games thus far, averaging 22.8 points on 48.7% shooting, 6.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.0 steals in 31.4 minutes of action.

The former Duke Blue Devils star played just 30 games last term before the Pelicans decided to shut him down due to a back injury. His 2025-26 campaign is off to a rough start again, with Williamson already missing more than half of his team’s games thus far.

The silver lining for the 6-foot-6 power forward is that he appears to be inching closer to his return. On Monday, Pelicans head coach James Borrego stated that the team intended to check Williamson’s status after his pregame routine to determine his availability for the game. He was officially listed as questionable to play.

The Pelicans have now made their decision, announcing that Williamson has been ruled out again. This will be the two-time All-Star’s eighth consecutive game on the shelf.

Zion Williamson (left hamstring strain) has been ruled OUT for tonight’s game

Saddiq Bey (left ankle sprain) has been ruled OUT for tonight’s game. https://t.co/GoeVyBjvpd
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 18, 2025

While there will be no return for Williamson on Monday night, these developments seem to indicate that he is getting closer. At this point, it would probably be safe to consider Williamson day-to-day. His next chance to play will be on Wednesday against the Denver Nuggets.

New Orleans enters Monday’s contest against the Thunder with a 2-11 record. They are currently ranked dead last in the Western Conference.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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