Is Zion Williamson playing tonight against Utah Jazz? Latest on former No. 1 pick's availability (Nov. 27)

The New Orleans Pelicans (9-8) will face the Utah Jazz (5-11) on Monday, November 27. However, the Pelicans will be without CJ McCollum, Matt Ryan, and Trey Murphey III, who are all missing due to injury. New Orleans has done a good job of navigating their current injury issues while remaining somewhat competitive in the Western Conference.

At the time of writing, Zion Williamson is expected to participate for the Pelicans. The star forward has played in 13 of the Pelicans' 17 games this season and is slowly finding his rhythm.

To begin the season, Zion is averaging 23.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, shooting 54.7% and 33.3% from the field. He is also converting 60.2% from the free-throw line, which needs to be drastically improved.

Still, Zion elevates the Pelicans to a whole new level when he's on the court. His physicality and unstoppable drives to the rim ensure New Orleans always has a reliable option on the offensive end. Zion still possesses an elite second jump, too, which makes him a major threat on the glass and provides reliable second-chance opportunities.

However, we won't know what the Pelicans roster is truly capable of until we see how they perform once McCollum returns to the rotation and all three star players are working in tandem.

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Zion Williamson's injury history is a concern for the New Orleans Pelicans

Zion Williamson is an elite talent. However, since entering the NBA in 2019, he has been unable to remain healthy, leaving the New Orleans Pelicans in a difficult position. As such, his current healthy stretch isn't being taken for granted. The Pelicans have endured false starts with Williamson before.

If Zion wants to prove that he's capable of becoming an All-NBA talent and fulfilling his undoubted potential, he needs to put his injury struggles in the rearview mirror. The only way he will continue to improve and evolve his game is by competing against the best players in the world, week in and week out.

Zion has already lost multiple years of consistent development, and will now need to play catchup. Perhaps he will look to add a reliable jump shot to his game or continue developing his playmaking skills so he can become a dominant point forward.

Whatever avenue Zion and the Pelicans take, the primary ingredient will be consistency — both in fitness and availability. If Zion can remain on the floor, his development, and the growth of the Pelicans roster, will both take care of themselves.