Willie Green gives uninspiring updates on Zion Williamson, Jordan Poole

The The injury woes of the New Orleans Pelicans continue to cast a long shadow over their early season struggles. As has become almost routine, the coach under fire Willie Green offered an update on Zion Williamson and Jordan Poole before the Nov. 12 game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Unfortunately for fans looking for good news, Green’s statements gave little indication of an imminent return from any player.

“Yeah, (Williamson) is improving,” Green said. “He had some contact (work) today, some one-on-one today, so he’s making steady progress through his rehab.”

This cautious approach suggests a comeback in the next few days is unlikely, leaving the Pelicans to navigate their tough schedule without their primary offensive engine. Unfortunately, Zion Williamson (hamstring) has now played less than half (5) of the team’s 11 games so far. However, when healthy, Williamson has been productive, averaging 22.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 31.4 minutes per game.

Those numbers underscore how much the Pelicans need their cornerstone player on the floor as they search for answers during a rough start to the season. While the mention of contact work suggests steps forward in his recovery, there is no clear timeline for when Williamson will be fit again, leaving fans and coaching staff in a state of uncertainty. The situation is similarly cautious for Jordan Poole.

“Same thing, (Pool) is moving forward,” Green replied. “It’s not ready yet, but we’ll keep updating.”

The Pelicans have won twice in ten attempts in a five-game stretch against the Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets. Finding wins among those handful of dates will be very difficult, with or without Williamson and Poole in the lineup.

As Green’s staff continues to deal with these injury challenges, the focus remains on getting both players fully healthy and not rushing them back too soon. However, with each game, the hole the Pelicans dig themselves grows deeper, making their eventual comeback even more critical to saving the season.