REPORT: Zion Williamson Cleared for Contact Drills

The New Orleans Pelicans have had a tough start to the season, but there was a bit of good news for Pelicans fans on Tuesday night.

According to ESPN’s Andrew Lopez, Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson has been cleared for contact drills and will start with 1-on-1 workouts.

Lopez also reports that Williamson will be evaluated to see if he can return to full-team workouts on Nov. 24. No decisions will be made about a timetable to return to games until Nov. 24 as well.

However, on Monday, it was reported by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst that Williamson is not expected to return any time soon.

Williamson has missed every game so far this year for the Pelicans as he is rehabbing from a fractured right foot.

The Pelicans need Williamson back fast, as the start of the season has been a disaster for New Orleans. The Pelicans currently hold the second-worst record in the League at 2-13, beating out only the 1-13 Houston Rockets.

Williamson has had a high-level impact for New Orleans in his two seasons thus far, averaging 25.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Williamson was also named an All-Star last season and was a member of the 2019-20 All-Rookie team.