Zion Williamson Continues ‘Mental Battle’ After Injury, Pelicans Eliminated From Playoffs

Zion Williamson said Tuesday that he would not return to the New Orleans Pelicans after a January hamstring injury until he felt confident in his ability to play at his usual level. He will now have an entire offseason to win this “mental battle,” as the Pelicans lost a do-or-die play-in game to the Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday night.

“I can pretty much do everything, but it’s just a matter of the level that I was playing at before my hamstring,” Williamson told reporters. “I don’t want to go out there and be in my own head and affect the team when I can just be on the sideline supporting them more, because I know myself. If I was to go out there, I would be in my head. I would hesitate on certain moves and it could affect the game.”

When Williamson was on the floor for New Orleans this season, the team went 17-12 and appeared to be a legitimate contender in the Western Conference. Without him, however, the team was far less effective, going 25-28 while the star recovered from a number of physical setbacks. His impact on the floor is immediate and obvious, as he has scored nearly 26 points per game over the course of his career. But his star-studded production, strong enough to build a team around, makes his absences in key games mean even more.

Without their 2019 lottery pick, the Pelicans struggled in the later stages of the 2022-23 season, and despite a strong second quarter against the Thunder in the play-in game, the team eventually went quietly after a dominant third by Oklahoma City, who went on to win 123-118. Williamson’s recovery timeline puts him firmly on course to return for the 2023-24 season.

“From my perspective, I just want to play basketball. I want to hoop. I want to play the game I love,” Williamson said. “But the reality of it is, whether I check my phone or I’m just watching TV, no matter what it is, I can’t really escape what the world thinks, what people’s opinions are. So, it’s frustrating.”