Zion Williamson initially had surgery to repair a fractured right foot in the offseason, but his recovery process has not gone as planned.
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When news of Zion Williamson‘s initial foot injury was reported in the offseason, Pelicans executive David Griffin assured fans that “his timeline should get him back on the court in time for regular season.” Well, not only has the regular season begun, but it is about to conclude without a sign of Williamson. On Monday, The Athletic’s Shams Charania confirmed what has appeared increasingly inevitable in recent weeks: Williamson is not expected to return to the floor for New Orleans this season.
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Williamson initially had surgery to repair a fractured right foot in the offseason, but his recovery process has not gone as planned. He was only recently cleared to start basketball activities, and had previously been rehabbing in Portland rather than New Orleans. He has been seen doing shooting drills, and at this stage, he is able to put weight on the injured foot. That progress should help him next season, but with only 11 games left on the schedule for the Pelicans, there simply isn’t enough time for him to ramp back up and return.
The Pelicans are currently tied for ninth place in the Western Conference despite Williamson’s absence, and given their three-game lead over San Antonio and Portland, currently ranked No. 11 and 12, respectively, they are essentially a shoo-in to reach the play-in round at least. If they can win two games, one likely against the Lakers and another against a higher-seeded opponent, they’d reach the playoffs.
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Doing so without Williamson would be a meaningful achievement, but the team has a long way to go if it plans to build a sustainable contender around him. Williamson is eligible for a contract extension this offseason, and there could be hesitance on both sides to pursue one. Rumors have suggested Williamson isn’t happy in New Orleans, and given his injuries, the Pelicans might not be thrilled with the idea of immediately giving him a max contract with just 85 NBA games under his belt.
But barring a surprise, Williamson should be back on the Pelicans next year, and a roster capable of making the play-in round without him should logically be a good deal better when he returns to the fold. It won’t be this season, but things are looking up a bit in New Orleans.
