Zion Williams could return from injury against the Warriors

The New Orleans Pelicans maybe there are stars ahead Zion Williamson are back in the lineup as they try to stop their early season slump. Williamson was listed as suspicious on Saturday’s injury report for Sunday’s home game against the Golden State Warriors, the first indication he could return from a left hamstring strain that sidelined him for nearly two weeks.

New Orleans enters the contest at 2–10continuing a challenging start to the 2025-2026 campaign. The game against Golden State, scheduled for 7 PM ET, is the fourth of a five-game homestand.

Williamson last played on November 2nd at The Pelicans lost 137–106 to the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder. He had 20 points, nine rebounds, six assists and one steal on 7-for-14 shooting in 28 minutes. In five appearances, the 25-year-old is averaging 22.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and a career-high 2.0 steals per game while shooting 48.7 percent from the field.

The Pelicans also confirmed that veteran guard Jordan Poole will remain sidelined. Poole has been ruled out of the competition on Sunday as he continues to recover from a left quad strain suffered on November 7. He was last active in New Orleans’ 116–112 win over the Charlotte Hornets, where he finished with 11 points, six assists and two rebounds.

In a press release, the organization announced:

“The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that Jordan Poole, who was diagnosed with a mild left lateral (quad) strain on Nov. 7, was recently re-evaluated. The evaluation indicated that he is making good progress in his recovery. Poole will be re-evaluated in approximately one week and additional updates will be provided.”

Zion Williamson, Jordan Poole receive injury notices as Pelicans prepare for Warriors

Poole, 26, is averaging 17.3 points, 3.4 assists and 1.7 rebounds while shooting 35.4% from the field and 33.9% from three in seven games in his first season with the team.

Sunday’s match comes less than 24 hours after a major organizational change. The The Pelicans fired head coach Willie Green and named associate head coach James Borrego as interim coach. Green, who has led the team since 2021, is leaving amid the team’s slow start.

Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars announced the decision in a statement.

“After careful evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to change the head coaching position,” Dumars said. “I have the utmost respect for Willie Green and truly appreciate his contributions to the Pelicans organization and the New Orleans community.”

Team owner Gail Benson said she trusts Dumars “to make the right decisions for our franchise.”

“I have tremendous admiration and respect for Willie Green, and I really appreciate everything he’s done for our organization over the last few years,” Benson said. “This is a tough job and these are tough decisions. My expectation is to be a winning team that competes for a championship.”

New Orleans will aim to close its homestand with a swing, potentially with Williamson back on the floor for the first time since early November.