Pelicans’ Zion Williamson has setback with hamstring injury

METAIRIE, La.(AP) — New Orleans Pelicans All-Star Zion Williamson has aggravatedhis previously injured right hamstring, extending the timeline forhis return to “multiple weeks past All-Star break,” basketballoperations chief David Griffin said Sunday.

Griffin saidWilliamson, who has been averaging 26 points per game this season,had progressed to the point where he was able to participate in3-on-3 drills in practice and was on the court when he experiencedhis setback.

When askedhow Williamson handled the setback emotionally, Griffin said, “it’sfair to say not terribly well because he was really diligent in hisrehab.”

“Unfortunately this is an injury that has a very high incidence ofrecurrence,” Griffin said. “It’s nothing he did wrong to bring thisabout. ... It’s an injury that’s tricky and hard to navigate. Ithink you’ve seen other players around the league have those samere-incidences. It’s not unique.”

Williamsonhas missed 20 straight games since his initial hamstring injury onJan. 2. If he misses the first two weeks after the All-Star break,he will have been out at least 27 games.

WithoutWilliamson, the Pelicans have gone 12-16, but a number of thosegames were played while high-scoring wing Brandon Ingram also wasout.

Ingram is nowback in the lineup and has scored 25 or more points in each of hispast four games.

The Pelicansenter Monday night’s game at Oklahoma City having won three offour, with the lone loss in that stretch coming against surgingCleveland, which is on a six-game winning streak.

The silverlining for the Pelicans is that they have virtually the same coreplayers available now that they had during their playoff run lastspring, when Williamson was recovering from a foot injury thatsidelined him for all of last season.

The Pelicansalso made amove at last week’s NBA tradedeadlinethat sent 6-foot-1 reserve guard Devonte’ Grahamto San Antonio for veteran 6-5 guard Josh Richardson, who is in hiseighth season and is expected to help New Orleans defensively.

New Orleansis 29-28, placing it seventh in the Western Conference enteringSunday.

“We all feelfor Z, having to navigate these injuries,” Pelicans coach WillieGreen said. “It’s an opportunity for guys to kind of band togetherand go out and play our best basketball."

Green, whoplayed in the NBA for 12 seasons, said it will be important forWilliamson to “get into a good mental space” now.

“It’s goingto be important for him to continue to attack the rehab to givehimself an opportunity to get back on the floor,” Green said. “Forthe rest of the guys... we’ve created a standard. We know how wewant to play. Guys have to do it and we all have to kind of cometogether while Z is out.”

The run thePelicans made last spring without Williamson “helps ourconfidence,” Green said.

“It gives usnot only the belief but the results to know that we can do it,”Green said. “We just got continue to go do the things we know we’recapable of.”