New Orleans Pelicans injury update: The latest word on Zion Williamson's return, as shared by Willie Green
The New Orleans Pelicans have struggled throughout the opening weeks of the 2021-22 NBA season. They find themselves with a 1-6 record heading into a road game against the Phoenix Suns. Unfortunately for the Pelicans, they have found themselves without one of their best players. Rising star Zion Williamson has yet to play a game after undergoing an operation in the offseason to fix a fractured bone in his right foot.
The Pelicans have continued to slowly give us updates about Zion's health and his status towards potentially returning to the NBA court. Today, we got another update as New Orleans head coach Willie Green revealed that the Pelicans plan to give Zion another round of scans in 2-3 weeks.
Willie Green says doctors are encouraged by Zion’s latest scans.
Zion up to 5-on-0 work. Can cut, can do explosive work.
Will be another set of scans in 2-3 weeks. Those will determine next step in his return to play.
Green went into more depth about the work that Zion is putting in to hopefully return to the NBA court as soon as possible. One of the rising stars in the NBA, the Pelicans have continued to stress caution by not rushing Zion back too quickly.
“He is progressing to do on the court work. … still not 5 on 5 competitively yet. He’s cutting. He’s doing explosive work. He’s getting closer and closer.”
Green: “He is progressing to do on the court work. … still not 5 on 5 competitively yet. He’s cutting. He’s doing explosive work. He’s getting closer and closer.”
Green says team will be careful with the foot before they let him be a full go.
NBA Fans eagerly await Zion Williamson's return to action
There's no doubt that basketball fans around the world have been patiently waiting for Zion Williamson to return to action. When he's on the court, Zion has become a must watch TV. He's one of the most unique and explosive players in the NBA. The problem is that Zion hasn't been able to stay healthy. During his three years in the NBA, Zion has begun the season on the sidelines twice. His frame and explosiveness have given him a serious advantage on the court, but it's also been something that has kept him on the injury report often. Another interesting development has been the fact that the specific injury has prevented Williamson from being able to run for the majority of the offseason. It's going to take some time for Williamson to get himself back into NBA shape, and the hope is that the Pelicans can get Zion back at full health for the foreseeable future.
Last year, Williamson went on to average 27.0 points and 7.2 rebounds for the Pelicans. It was announced during the summer that Williamson suffered the injury this offseason during a workout. Based on the projected outline provided by head coach Willie Green, it would seem that the Pelicans are potentially targeting Zion to return sometime in December. The next hurdle for Zion will be getting cleared for 5-on-5 work. Once that happens, the Pelicans can focus on trying to get him into game shape, so that Zion can return and give this team a much needed boost.
Also Read: What is Zion Williamson Net Worth in 2021?