The New Orleans Pelicans announced Wednesday that Zion Williamson has made progress in his recovery from a right-foot injury and can now resume basketball activities.
There is no set time when he will play in a match.
After examining recent images of Williamson’s feet, doctors discovered evidence of “improved” bone healing.
“We are all happy with his progress and we are all very pleased with the results. Willie Green, Pelicans coach, said that he still has a long way to go. He is aware of his shortcomings, but he is taking the necessary steps to improve. We’ll watch and see how it turns out.”
Williamson, who averaged 27 points per game and was an All-Star in last season’s league, tried to return to practice in December after suffering an injury during the summer. The club scanned Williamson’s foot and determined that he had suffered a setback. Williamson was told to stop practicing and instead focus on his healing.
Williamson was then given a “biologic injectable” to increase bone healing. Williamson was allowed to leave New Orleans by the Pelicans in January so that he could continue his healing in Oregon.
Williamson was drafted first overall by Duke in 2019. He suffered a right knee injury and lateral meniscus in his rookie season. He played in 61 out of 72 games during his second season.
Last summer, he injured his foot while playing basketball drills with his stepfather. He has since entrusted his offseason training to him.
The injury was disclosed by the Pelicans on September’s first day of training camp. They stated that they hoped he would be ready to play for the team in the regular-season opener, Oct. 20. Williamson initially accepted that timeframe, but it has been proven to be too optimistic by at least five more months.
The Pelicans were 1-12 when Williamson was absent, but they have steadily moved up the Western Conference ladder. Two days before the NBA trade deadline, they acquired Portland’s high-scoring point guard CJ McCollum to help them consolidate their recent gains.
The Pelicans lost four of five games following the trade and returned from the All-Star break with consecutive road wins against Phoenix, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Lakers.
The Pelicans (25-36) and Portland (25-36) were tied for the final West play-in spot with 21 regular season games remaining.
