The New Orleans Pelicans haven’t been playing their best lately, which has led to them slipping into the seventh spot in the Western Conference at the top of the NBA Play-In Tournament. Their odds of avoiding the Play-In could hinge on the health of their star players, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.
Ingram is reportedly progressing well from his knee injury, as he is expected to be re-evaluated soon and could be back on the court with the team next week. On Williamson, the team received a similarly encouraging update.
Williamson was forced from the team’s game against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night because of a finger injury on his left hand. X-rays and scans on the injury came back negative, which is certainly a positive for the team.
“Everything structurally was fine, just some soreness in his finger,” head coach Willie Green said.
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Williamson did not play in the final 7:24 of the team’s loss to the Magic as he was dealing with the issue with his finger. He hit it multiple times during the game, which could have led to the soreness that he is currently working through.
The Pelicans will be taking on the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night and Williamson has been listed as questionable for the game. The Spurs, who have one of the worst records in the NBA this season, are dealing with several injuries of their own and could be beatable even without Williamson in the lineup as they are playing out the string.
But, as long as Victor Wembanyama is in the lineup for San Antonio, they cannot be taken lightly. When asked if Williamson would suit up on Friday, Green was unable to provide a concrete answer either way, saying, “We’ll see. We’ll see what happens.”
Along with Ingram, who is set to miss his eighth consecutive game, the team has been without point guard Jose Alvarado. He is also listed as out for Friday, which will be his fifth consecutive absence.
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