Zion Williamson nowhere close to returning?

Zion Williamson may be as close to a return as his 1-12 New Orleans Pelicans are to playoff contention right now.

Shams Charania of The Athletic said this week on “The Pat McAfee Show” that the star forward Williamson is not close to a return, adding that the Pelicans continue to push back his timeline.

“What is the point then to bring him back if they are not anywhere close [to contention]?” Charania added.

Charania also said that Williamson’s bone is not fully healing yet and that he still needs to get into proper game shape, which he is not currently in.

The Pelicans have suffered nine consecutive losses and are already a full five games back of even the play-in tournament zone. They also have seven more contests against teams with winning records before the end of November.

The former No. 1 overall pick Williamson continues to recover from his foot surgery and has created loud speculation over his weight during his absence. Combined with the Pelicans’ truly abysmal record right now, it does not sound like we will be seeing Williamson back on the court for awhile.

H/T NBA Reddit

Photo: Mar 4, 2020; Dallas, Texas, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) laughs while warming up before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports