New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson will be continuing his rehabilitation away from the team, the Pelicans announced Wednesday.
Williamson has not played a game this season after recovering from foot surgery in the offseason.
“Since we notified everyone on December 16 of his latest imaging, it was decided then by our medical team to dial his rehab back to only partial weight-bearing activities. He continues along that path,” Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin said from a press release . “We also agreed that in order to put Zion in the best position to succeed, he will rehab away from the team at this time so he can focus on the task at hand.”
In November, Williamson was cleared to participate in contact drills, beginning with 1-on-1 workouts and progressively working towards full-team workouts. However, a month later, Williamson had a setback as he needed a biologic injection into the fracture site to stimulate bone healing in his right foot.
“As you can imagine, this has been a very difficult process for me,” Williamson said via a press release from the team. “I know there’s work to be done in my recovery before I can safely return to the court, but I will continue to put in the time necessary so I can get back on the floor with my team and represent Pelicans fans and the city of New Orleans at the highest level. Basketball means everything to me, and I am thankful for the Pelicans organization and everyone who has surrounded me with love and support throughout this journey – my family, friends, teammates, coaches, staff, fans, and everybody who has stood behind me and uplifted me when I needed it most.”
New Orleans is 13-25, and at this point, it might be in their best interest to let the third-year forward sit out the rest of the season.
