Is Zion Williamson playing tonight? Silent storm brews as New Orleans Pelicans star faces uncertain future

On Monday, the Oklahoma City Thunder will travel to play the New Orleans Pelicans. The Thunder won easily on November 2 when they last faced off. The two teams will play each other for the second time this season. OKC's brief two-game road journey is coming to a close. Williamson may make a comeback after missing six games due to a left hamstring strain, but New Orleans has listed him as questionable for Sunday's game. Williamson is still going about his daily business, so this isn't much of an update. Given that the Pelicans did not have a shootaround for the second leg of this back-to-back set, he is probably going to be a game-time decision. If Williamson is given the all-clear to return, he will probably be subject to restrictions because he has missed the last seven games.As injuries pile up, Zion Williamson’s lingering absence raises bigger questions for New Orleans PelicansThe Pelicans arrived with an even tougher start just as the Mavericks appeared to be in jeopardy. The Pelicans are giving up free points after starting the season with six straight losses and now dropping five more, including a difficult setback to the Warriors. Jordan Poole and Zion Williamson are among the three players on the Pelicans' injury report. A turnaround hasn't even been spurred by a coaching change. However, Zion Williamson was expected to lead the Pelicans this season. Rather, there is a lot of ambiguity about Zion's attendance, and the main concern going into tonight's game is his availability.The Thunder (13-1) have won five straight games. They defeated the Charlotte Hornets 109-96 on Saturday thanks to a strong second half. In just three quarters, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored an effective 33 points. On a high volume, Chet Holmgren scored 25 points.In the meantime, the Pelicans (2-11) are playing their second straight game at home. On Sunday, they lost to the Golden State Warriors 124-106. Twenty points were scored by Trey Murphy III. That concludes the excellent lessons to be learnt.At last, the Pelicans can relax. On Monday, Zion Williamson is categorized as doubtful. With just five games played thus far, the rising star is following an all too familiar trend for a player who hasn't had an injury-free season in four years. If the team chooses to start him, this could finally be a glimmer of hope. He was already ruled out for Sunday's loss to the Warriors, and nothing about this season suggests a speedy return.When Zion's grade 1 left hamstring strain was revealed on November 5, the Pelicans anticipated that it would keep him out of action for seven to ten days. Hamstring problems are infamously difficult, particularly for someone who has struggled with them for four seasons in a row. However, his body had already been criticized for not being in optimal NBA shape prior to this setback.The same set of players won't be with the Thunder. Jalen Williams is out due to wrist surgery. Alex Caruso's hand pain is dubious. Aaron Wiggins is sidelined due to an adductor strain. Kenrich Williams is out due to knee surgery. Nikola Topic is no longer available for testicular surgery. Thomas Sorber is out due to an ACL tear.The Pelicans have not yet submitted an injury report because they are playing back-to-back games. Nevertheless, a few absences are already known to us. Zion Williamson is out due to a hamstring issue. Jordan Poole is sidelined due to a quadriceps issue. Achilles, played by Dejounte Murray, is out.Also read: New Orleans Pelicans vs Golden State Warriors (11-16-2025) game preview: When and where to watch, expected lineup, injury report, prediction, and moreCast Your Vote for India's Biggest Habit Index and Get an Exclusive First Look Before Results Go Live. Take the survey here!