Jan 15, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) dribbles the ball past New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Zion Williamson's Status For Pelicans vs Mavericks

Originally posted on New Orleans Pelicans on SI
By Terry Kimble | Last updated Feb 21, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The New Orleans Pelicans are on the road Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks in a Southwest Division matchup.

Dallas is trying to make another deep playoff after reaching the NBA Finals last season, but they shocked the league after trading their megastar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for star forward Anthony Davis.

Their opponent on Friday, the Pelicans, is looking for this disastrous season to end. New Orleans already has 42 losses on the year, the most since the 2021-2022 season. Zion Williamson's injuries this year have contributed to the team's inconsistent play and multiple double-digit losing streaks.

Yves Missi questionable for tomorrow’s game in Dallas.

Kelly Olynyk is available tomorrow. #Pelicans | @MorrisBartLLC https://t.co/cUyWTzNfRf
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) February 20, 2025

Williamson missed 27 straight games earlier in the season with hamstring and calf injuries. The Pelicans have eased him back into the lineup despite his insistence that he could play more minutes. New Orleans released their injury report for Friday's game, but the star forward is not listed.

Williamson told reporters after practice recently that the Pelicans are making the decision to be cautious with his workload post-injury. "Let me make this clear to everybody out there," Zion said. "If I can play in back-to-backs, I would. Physically, yes I can. But I work for the Pelicans."

"They have decided that based off the numbers, it's not smart to do that right now. So if that's what they feel, I'm rocking with them on that." Since his return from injury, the two-time all-star has been limited to fewer than 30 minutes in every game and has not participated in playing any back-to-back games.