New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin shared some surprising news during his chat with the media. Griffin revealed that the team’s star forward, Zion Williamson, had foot surgery in the offseason but quickly added that the Pelicans expect him back in time for the start of the 2021-22 NBA season.
According to Griffin, Williamson broke his foot during summer practices in August and had a procedure to repair the damage shortly after.
“He had a fractured right foot that was repaired surgically,” Griffin said. “His timeline should get him back on the court in the time of the regular season. That would be our hope and our view. And we’re very optimistic about what that looks like.”
Griffin added that the Pelicans’ brass met with Williamson and his family in order to lay out a plan for his return to the court.
Zion Williamson, who was the first-overall pick in 2019, has already dealt with several injuries in his young NBA career. During his rookie season, Williamson only managed to play 25 games after spending the better part of 2019-20 sidelined with a knee injury.
In his sophomore year, Williamson played 61 games but had to wrap up his 2020-21 season earlier than expected due to a thumb injury. The Duke product has been averaging 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game since entering the league.
