Zion upgraded to questionable, nears Pels return

New Orleans Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson is on the verge of returning to action after missing two months due to a left hamstring strain.

The Pelicans announced that Williamson, who returned to practice last week, has been upgraded to questionable for Tuesday’s home game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Williamson has not played since a Nov. 6 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, missing the last 27 games for the 7-29 Pelicans.

Injuries have plagued the career of Williamson, limiting the former No. 1 overall pick to 190 games over five and a half seasons. He has career averages of 24.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.

Williamson has had persistent issues with his hamstring over the last few seasons. A hamstring strain sidelined him for the final 45 games of the 2022-23 season, when he was selected as an All-Star for the second time. He played a career-high 70 games last season but exited a play-in game due to a hamstring strain that sidelined Williamson for the Pelicans’ first-round playoff loss.