Report: Troubling injury update revealed on Zion Williamson

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, a former five-star recruit and Duke star, could require a second foot surgery for an offseason injury, according to a report from NOLA.com’s Christian Clark. He continues to experience setbacks in his recovery from a broken foot and has not played this season.

The original recovery timeline called for a December return, but as the months came and went it became clear that would not happen. At one point, the Pelicans and Zion Williamson agreed he should move from New Orleans to Portland in order to continue his recovery from the foot injury.

“Last week, Griffin said Williamson will have another round of medical imaging done on his right foot either this week or next week,” Clark wrote about the next steps for the player and team.

A second procedure could hold out Williamson through the end of the 2021-22 season, taking a full season off his career. However, the Pelicans continue to prioritize the long-term health of their franchise cornerstone over any short-term success.

“Williamson has been overweight for virtually all of his pro career, which has complicated the recovery process,” Clark added. “He must lose weight in order to decrease the amount of force he puts on his right foot when he runs, cuts and jumps. But it’s difficult for Williamson to lose weight without running, cutting and jumping.”

The third-year star has lost a significant portion of his young career to injuries, drawing criticism from fans and media about his commitment to keeping weight off. However, with a broken foot, the issue complicates itself as he attempts to stay active without aggravating the injury.

More about Zion Williamson

Zion Williamson burst onto the national scene as a high school player, drawing attention with his jaw-dropping highlights. He came to Duke as an On3 consensus five-star recruit and teamed up with fellow lottery picks RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish.

After making a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, the star-studded team suffered an upset loss and headed for the NBA Draft. Williamson went No. 1 overall as the clear favorite to be taken, ahead of Murray State star Ja Morant at No. 2 and teammate RJ Barrett at No. 3.

When on the court, Williamson has proven to be a force. He averages 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists on 60.4 percent shooting from the field. He also made his first All-Star appearance in 2021.