Zion Williamson knew immediately something was wrong when he rose for a shot that gave him 40 points in the April 16 play-in tournament matchup vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, signaling to the sideline that he needed to exit the game. A diagnosis of a left hamstring strain for Williamson has sidelined him for the start of New Orleans’ first-round Western Conference playoff series vs. Oklahoma City, but the 23-year-old is hopeful that he’ll be able to return at some point. That would mean making his NBA career playoff debut this spring.
“It’s absolutely realistic,” Williamson said Tuesday in OKC, when asked by reporters if he believes he has a chance to be back in uniform during the playoffs.
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The two-time All-Star described his injury from a week ago as “demoralizing,” alluding to him appearing in a career-best 70 games during the regular season. He was not a DNP in consecutive games throughout the entire 82-game docket.
“Super demoralizing at first,” Williamson said. “I can’t lie. The season had been going so well, so for that to happen, definitely was demoralizing. But I took a day or two to kind of get past that (mentally and emotionally). Now I’m back on what I’ve been saying all year, stacking my days and getting back on the court.”
Williamson indicated that he has enjoyed experiencing the atmosphere of the postseason with his New Orleans teammates, while acknowledging it’s far from the same thing as actually being able to participate in games. The Pelicans reached the playoffs in 2022 as well vs. Phoenix, but he missed the entire 2021-22 campaign due to a foot injury.
Asked about being on the team’s bench in the Paycom Center for Sunday's Game 1 of the playoffs and witnessing NOLA’s 94-92 defeat, Williamson responded, “I love hooping. I really love hooping. It was bittersweet for me, if I’m being honest. Because the whole time I kept envisioning myself out there, my impact on the game. At the same time, I had to put aside my personal feelings and be there for my teammates. The energy was great. OKC’s fans really came out. It was a playoff environment.”
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Williamson said his left hamstring injury feels less severe than the one he sustained to his right hamstring last season, which forced him out of the lineup from Jan. 2 through the Pelicans' elimination from the 2023 play-in tournament by the Thunder in mid-April.
“Since I (had a hamstring injury to) my right leg last year, I was able to tell instantly that it was something (this time),” he said. “Didn’t know exactly what it was, but I was able to tell it was something in that area.
“The right side was definitely sharper pain. This one didn’t really feel like that, it just felt (like) something was off.”
Williamson indicated that he will be undergoing physical testing to determine his progress in potentially being able to return from the left hamstring strain.
“The more I pass tests, the quicker I’ll be able to return, but I have to get back to a baseline and pass certain tests,” he said of the near future. “Hopefully I’ll be out there (to play in playoff games).”