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Pelicans clear Zion Williamson to return to on-court activities, still out for 2 more weeks

It's been awhile since we've seen Zion Williamson on the court, but he's finally getting back to where he belongs.

The New Orleans Pelicans announced on Wednesday that they've cleared Williamson to return to on-court activities following a reevaluation of his hamstring injury.

Williamson injured his right hamstring during an early January game against the Philadelphia 76ers and hasn't played since. Prior to the injury, he was averaging 26 points a game with seven rebounds and 4.6 assists.

While Williamson is finally getting back on the court, there's really nothing he'll be able to do for the team if he's actually cleared to return to games when he's reevaluated. In two weeks it'll be April 5, just four days before the end of the season.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 03: Injured Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans looks on from the bench against the Golden State Warriors during an NBA basketball game at Chase Center on March 03, 2023 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The Pelicans have cleared Zion Williamson to return to on-court activities. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) (Thearon W. Henderson via Getty Images)

What the Pelicans will be doing when the season ends is still up in the air, however. When Williamson went down on Jan. 2, the Pelicans were third in the Western Conference, behind only the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies (who have remained at the top through March 21). Now they're in 12th with a 35-37 record, mostly thanks to a 10-game losing streak that happened in mid-January that they couldn't recover from.

And yet that 35-37 record still keeps them in the hunt for a play-in spot. There are only three-and-a-half games between the fourth-place Phoenix Suns (38-33) and the 12th-place Pelicans. With 10 games left in the season, anything can happen. Could that include Zion recovering enough to actually play some meaningful basketball? We'll have to wait and see.