Why is Zion Williamson not playing against Hawks? Pelicans star forward's absence explored

Zion Williamson has been ruled out in Sunday's game against the Atlanta Hawks. According to the New Orleans Pelicans' injury report, Williamson is currently dealing with a right hamstring tightness. Initially, Williamson's injury report was listed as questionable. However, it appears that he can't play through the tightness.

It's quite unfortunate for the Pelicans to miss out on their star forward. Williamson had an outstanding performance in their game prior. Going up against the Indiana Pacers last Friday, Zion put up a double-double performance by adding 34 points and 10 assists. During that game, Williamson didn't show any signs of injury and was able to play for 37 minutes.

With Zion Williamson out against the Atlanta Hawks, the New Orleans Pelicans will rely more on Brandon Ingram. It's also worth noting that the Hawks are currently on a three-game losing streak, which means the Pelicans could take advantage of their cold streak.

Exploring Zion Williamson’s 2024-25 season so far

Zion Williamson is now playing in his fifth NBA season. Since his arrival in the league, everyone knew that he was going to be a special talent on the hardwood. However, the New Orleans Pelicans star built a reputation for consistently getting injured. With that in mind, fans and analysts often look forward to Williamson’s availability each season.

Williamson has been mostly available for the Pelicans during the 2024-25 season. As of this writing, New Orleans has already played seven games. So far, the explosive forward has only missed two games. He missed their season-opening game and now their matchup against the Atlanta Hawks. While Zion Williamson’s absence is always a cause for concern, his contributions to his team this year have been solid. In his season debut against the Portland Trail Blazers, Williamson nearly came up with a triple-double performance. He added 16 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks.

Although his scoring figures weren’t the usual, he still efficiently contributed to his team. Looking at Williamson’s best game so far, it was when they faced the Indiana Pacers. His huge double-double performance helped the Pelicans beat the Pacers 125-118. Zion looked more like himself with 34 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, and two steals.

While Zion Williamson recovers, he can focus on preparing for the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. The last time the teams faced off, Portland came out on top. However, readers should keep in mind that there are chances Williamson could still be ruled out in their next game. We’ll have to wait for further updates from the New Orleans Pelicans.