Zion Williamson taking big step towards returning to action

Perhaps Zion Williamson has a chance to salvage something from what had looked like a lost 2021-22 season.

Williamson has been cleared to participate in basketball activities, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. While there is no clear update on when or if Williamson will actually play, he is returning to New Orleans after rehabbing his foot injury in Portland.

Pelicans’ Zion Williamson is returning to New Orleans after spending time in Portland for his foot rehab, sources tell me and @WillGuillory. Williamson is cleared to progress in basketball activities. Pelicans have won four straight games and are in playoff race.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 5, 2022

The most recent update from the Pelicans indicated that Williamson remains out indefinitely, and that timeline probably does not require updating yet. There is significant distance between taking part in basketball activities and actually playing in games, and time is of the essence with roughly a month to go in the regular season. The fact that he is returning to New Orleans, particularly after some unflattering publicity in recent weeks is certainly significant no matter what.

New Orleans sits tenth in the Western Conference with 19 games remaining in the regular season, and are almost certainly destined for the play-in tournament if they make the postseason. They have won four consecutive games, all in blowout fashion, since the All-Star break.

Photo: Sep 27, 2021; New Orleans, LA, USA; Zion Williamson during a press conference at the New Orleans Pelicans Media Day. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports