Pelicans’ Zion Williamson in a ‘mental battle’ to play again

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — All-Star forward ZionWilliamson said he won’t return to the New Orleans Pelicans’ lineupuntil he’s confident his body will respond well to the way he wantsto play.

“Physically, I’m fine,” Williamson, who injured his righthamstring in early January, said Tuesday. “Now it’s just a matterof when I feel like Zion.

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

Williamson’s extended absence looms particularly large now, withNew Orleans hosting Oklahoma City in a do-or-die, WesternConference play-in game on Wednesday night. The loser is done forthe season while the winner survives to play at least once more onFriday night for the right to enter the first-round of the playoffsas the conference’s eighth seed — and face top-seeded Denver.

Williamson said he has to overcome “a little bit of a mentalbattle” because of a setback in his recovery that prevented himfrom participating in the All-Star Game.

“When I reaggravated it back in February, it was tough. So, whenI got to make certain moves, there is that hesitation,” Williamsonsaid. “I understand the magnitude of these games coming up and Idon’t want to be out there hesitating or doing something that mayaffect my team in a bad way.”

Williamson’s anxiety about re-injury is understandable, givenhow his first four NBA seasons have gone since he was selectedfirst overall out of Duke in the 2019 NBA draft.

He played in just 24 games as a rookie, mostly because of a leftknee injury. He missed all of his third season because of a brokenright foot and played in just 29 games during the 2022-23 regularseason.

The only time he’s appeared in as many as 30 games was hissecond season, when he played in 61.

When available, the 6-foot-6, 280-pound Williamson has beenamong the most productive players in the NBA, averaging nearly 26points and seven rebounds in 114 career games. He can handle theball and run the floor like a guard or wing player, soar to thehoop for rim-rattling dunks and muscle his way into shootingpositions from the post — often hitting off-balance, short-rangeshots between multiple defenders.

The Pelicans missed the playoffs during Williamson’s first twoseasons. When they finally made it last season, he could only cheeron his teammates from the sideline. The promise the club showedlate last season gave Williamson enough confidence in the club’sfuture to sign a rookie max extension worth close to $200 millionduring the next five seasons.

Now another postseason has arrived, and Williamson is againunavailable to play — for now. Williamson said the decision on hisreturn is not his alone and will be made in concert with the team.On Friday, Pelicans Executive Vice President of BasketballOperations David Griffin said Williamson would not likely be readyto play until some time during the first round of the playoffs atthe earliest — and there’s no guarantee New Orleans will make itthat far.

Meanwhile, Williamson has had to listen to basketball fans andpundits alike question his commitment to stay in shape and hisdetermination to get back on the court.

“I don’t know how else to say it. It just sucks. I love thisgame,” Williamson said. “For those people that think that I justwant to sit on the sideline just to sit over there, I don’t knowwhy people think that.

“From my perspective, I just want to play basketball. I want tohoop. I want to play the game I love,” Williamson continued. “Butthe reality of it is, whether I check my phone or I’m just watchingTV, no matter what it is, I can’t really escape what the worldthinks, what people’s opinions are. So, it’s frustrating.”

Williamson said his series of long absences from the court havetaught him that “nothing’s really guaranteed.”

“If it’s in God’s plan to be who I feel like I should be, thenit’s in his plan,” Williamson said. “If not, then you’ve got tolive with it.”