It hasn't been the best two-week stretch for the New Orleans Pelicans. They once were in position to finish the season with the fifth seed in the Western Conference, but a horrid string of games ended up having them finish with the eight-seed. New Orleans' misery was compounded by the fact that Zion Williamson sustained a hamstring injury that will keep him out for a minimum of two weeks.

Nonetheless, the Pelicans, on Sunday, looked very dangerous against an Oklahoma City Thunder team that defied all expectations by finishing first in a stacked conference. Buoyed by CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy, the Pelicans kept it close in Game 1 of their first-round tussle against the Thunder. They even took a lead late in the contest before falling, 94-90, in what was a more hotly-contested game than everyone expected.

Thus, Pelicans fans could not help but wonder how much better their playoff fate would have been in Game 1 had Zion Williamson been healthy. Alas, given the uncertainty of Williamson's current situation and his long history of injury-proneness, all fans could do is hope against hope for a potential return later on in the series against the Thunder.

“@Zionwilliamson please come put these kids to bed bro,” one fan wrote on Twitter (X). Added another, “Zion please return to save us

Some fans even went as far as to say that the Pelicans would convincingly take care of Thunder, Game 1 included, if Zion Williamson did not injure his hamstring back in the 7/8 play-in matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. After all, Williamson was on a tear that night — and the Pelicans could have earned the seven-seed right there and then if he did not have to exit the contest.

“I believe a Pelicans team with Zion Williamson will win them this series against the OKC thunder. OKC showing their inexperience. Luckily, SGA was able to save them,” said one fan. This sentiment was echoed by another fan: “It’s just devastating that Zion got hurt before this series The pels could’ve been the first 8 seed to sweep a 1 seed (idk if this is true) if Zion was here too.”

“I hate that Zion Williamson got hurt Man, the Pelicans are nice fr,” added a supporter.

Given the two-week timeline of re-evaluation from last week Tuesday, there is a chance Zion Williamson could be back by Game 5 — if the Pelicans' season is still alive by then. Until then, New Orleans' goal is to make the Thunder's life hell as they buy time for their star man.

Pelicans' deja vu

The Pelicans' 2024 series against the Thunder is reminiscent of their matchup against the Phoenix Suns in 2022. Two years ago, New Orleans was without Zion Williamson as well, but there they were, able to put up a good fight against a Suns team that was looking to return to the NBA Finals.

During that series, the Pelicans turned to Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, and Jonas Valanciunas to shoulder a heavy workload on offense. They also got strong contributions from Herb Jones and Jose Alvarado, with both these pesky defensive guards making life difficult for the Suns' ballhandlers — with Alvarado even picking Chris Paul up from the backcourt.

In the end, however, the Suns had too much firepower for the Pelicans. They took the series in six games, with Zion Williamson being unable to return despite the rumors. Will 2024 be deja vu for New Orleans?

There is simply no way the Pelicans will be rushing Williamson back; he missed the entire 2021-22 season with a foot injury, and then he played in only 29 games last season after sustaining what ended up being a season-ending hamstring injury in January 2023.

The solace is that Williamson did not injure the same hamstring that ended his 2022-23 campaign. But due to the tricky nature of hamstring injuries, expect the Pelicans to play it safe — making a playoff return for Williamson a long shot unless they manage to go deep into the playoffs amid his absence.

Brandon Ingram has to wake up

Brandon Ingram has one of the best skills a player can have when it comes to playoff basketball — tough-shot making. There are few, if any, easy opponents in the playoffs, making a player who can hit shots against elite defenses worth his weight in gold.

On Sunday, Ingram struggled mightily against the Thunder. He went 5-17 en route to scoring a career-low 12 points in a single playoff game. In 2022, Ingram did not have a good Game 1 performance against the Suns, so it's not the end of the world.

But now, more than ever, is when the Pelicans need Ingram to play like an All-Star as they try to keep the series competitive in preparation for a potential return from the team's best player.