Zion Williamson gets one step closer to return to Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans are surging and finally got some good news about the injury status of Zion Williamson.

Williamson has been out all season and the void has mostly been filled by silence or bad news as he has suffered one setback after another.

After rumors started circulating about the possibility of a second surgery, most fans gave up on the idea of seeing Zion play this season.

But watching his teammates win has to have Zion itching to get back, and his return may yet happen at some point in the 2021-22 season.

Could Zion Williamson return to the Pelicans this season?

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Zion Williamson is finally back with the team and has been cleared for basketball activities:

That doesn’t mean his return is imminent, and we have heard this type of news before, so I am firmly in the “I’ll believe it when I see it” camp when it comes to Zion and these rumors.

The team is playing well right now without him and has surged into the 10th seed, which is the final position for the play-in tournament.

It appears the Pels can reach that goal without him, so there is no real reason to rush him back, but it’s hard not to dream of this team at full strength, which would be an absolute nightmare for whoever they ended up facing in the play-in tournament and maybe even a first-round playoff series.

They’ve clearly hit a new level with the addition of CJ McCollum and adding another All-Star caliber player to this roster could make the Pelicans a dangerous team if they can eek their way into the playoffs.

The New Orleans Pelicans don’t have to force anything, but there is cautious optimism around Zion Williamson right now and things are finally looking up for New Orleans after a nightmare start to the season.