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‘This Has Been A Very Difficult Process’| Zion Williamson’s Frustrating Foot May Require Another Surgery

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New Orleans Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson hasn’t seen the floor this season due to a nagging foot injury that he had surgery on in December.

At the time of the actual procedure, a four-to-six-week recovery window was expected, but Williamson hasn’t come close to seeing the court.

The Knicks Should Draft Ja Morant, Not Zion

And now reports are, the physically imposing specimen may need a second surgery to ease the pain. Following the initial surgery, Williamson reportedly felt a lot of soreness when he began his road to recovery, so the Pelicans once again shut down their franchise player.

In mid-January, the Pelicans provided an update on its star player and let’s just say the prognosis didn’t sound too optimistic. This has had an adverse effect on Williamson, and he talked about just that in a recent interview.

“As you can imagine, this has been a very difficult process for me. 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 and fans, and everybody who has stood behind me and uplifted me when I needed it most.”

 

Williamson is currently recovering from a procedure to fix a fracture in his right foot. During his rookie year, Williamson missed nearly half the season while recovering from a knee injury (torn meniscus) originally suffered during NBA Summer League.

Pelicans And Team President David Griffin Have Been Vague In Updates On Zion’s Status:

Since prior to Williamson’s first procedure, the Pelicans have provided little info publicly on what is really going on with their star. A recent detailed update by team president David Griffin on Williamson is the most information the Pels have given since he had surgery in August.

“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. 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.”

Zion’s Family And Agents Question Williamson’s Future With Team

Over the summer, in the midst of Williamson suffering the injury, questions about his future with the team began to fester. According to a report from The Athletic, his family wanted to get him away from the organization, saying certain people in his circle “want Williamson on another team.” That may have stemmed from an end-of-season presser where Williamson called the season disappointing.

“I’m not going to sit here and say we’re close. The reality of it is very disappointing not to be a part of the play-in tournament and stuff. But we just have to come in and be better. That’s just me being real. It’s disappointing. I’d be lying to you if I said anything else. It’s very disappointing. But the best we can do is regroup, come together as a team, come together as coaches this offseason. Just talk and do what we need to do to be better next year. There’s not much to it. We just have to be better.”

Williamson’s agent questioned his lon- term future with the franchise following some major free-agency blunders, none bigger than the team trading pass-first point guard Lonzo Ball for Devonte Graham.

Some believe his family wants him to be in a bigger market. Maybe NYC.

When Healthy, Williamson Dazzles: Dominated In HS And Duke 

A healthy Zion is definitely a foundational piece that any franchise could build around. Despite missing nearly half of his rookie season, Williamson still averaged 22.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He played in 61 of 72 games last season, averaging 27.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game on 61.1 percent shooting, earning an All-Star nod.

In his lone season at Duke, Williamson led the Blue Devils to the Elite Eight while averaging 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.8 blocks per game.

The greatest fear is that these constant injuries eat away at a promising career. The disappointing saga of Zion Williamson, once considered a generational talent, continues.

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