Zion Williamson

After Zion Williamson recently suffered a setback in his rehab from a right foot injury, the New Orleans Pelicans aren't giving up hope that the star will be able to return to the court at some point this season.

According to ESPN's Andrew Lopez, the team believes Williamson may be able to play in 2021-22:

.@_Andrew_Lopez says the Pelicans still believe Zion Williamson will return to play this season.

"This is not a 'shut him down for the season' type of injury. ... They still feel like he can play basketball this year." pic.twitter.com/sqZJQXVK0a

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 13, 2021

Williamson had offseason surgery on a fractured right foot, with the expectation that he would return at some point in December. However, the Pelicans recently announced there has been "regression" in the healing process.

"After experiencing persistent soreness in his right foot, Zion Williamson underwent medical imaging which showed a regression in the bone healing of his fifth metatarsal," the team announced in a statement Saturday. "As a result, the volume and intensity of his training will be reduced for an extended period to help allow for further bone healing."

Injuries have unfortunately been a theme of Williamson's young career. He played in just 24 games in his 2019-20 rookie season after a torn meniscus delayed his NBA debut until late January and COVID-19 cut the NBA regular season short.

He was far healthier in the 2020-21 campaign, playing in 61 of the 72 games that season and averaging an impressive 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting an impressive 61.1 percent from the field, though just 69.8 percent from the free-throw line and 29.4 percent from three.

When on the court, the 21-year-old is a force to be reckoned with, getting to the basket at will and finishing around the rim at an incredibly high rate. There are concerns about his game, namely his perimeter shooting, but there's little doubt that Williamson has a ton of potential and could be a truly dominant player if he keeps himself in shape and on the court.

But staying healthy has become an enormous concern. He's now played just 85 of a possible 183 games, a very worrying number. The Pelicans have playoff aspirations with Williamson on the court. Without him, they're just another lottery team, yet again.

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson is still experiencing soreness in his surgically repaired right foot and will have his rehab workload scaled back accordingly. 

“After experiencing persistent soreness in his right foot, Zion Williamson underwent medical imaging, which showed a regression in the bone healing of his fifth metatarsal," the team said in a statement. "As a result, the volume and intensity of his training will be reduced for an extended period to help allow for further bone healing."

The 21-year-old averaged 27.0 points on 61.1 percent shooting, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in 2020-21 for the Pelicans.

Williamson has missed the first 28 games of the Pels' 2021-22 season following his offseason surgery. He was supposed to be ready for the start of the season.

David Griffin on Zion's injury update#Pelicans pic.twitter.com/5WjdV0VpVe

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) September 27, 2021

The Duke product was cleared for full basketball activities Nov. 26, per Charania, who then offered this update on Dec. 2:

Pelicans’ Zion Williamson experienced a slight delay in his rehab due to soreness in his injured right foot. Team is optimistic it is not serious but will dial back his ramp up in approximately a week.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 2, 2021

Without the star, the team has languished near the bottom of the Western Conference with an 8-20 record.

Josh Hart has been in the starting lineup in place of Williamson as the team opts for a smaller lineup. He's played at small forward, with Brandon Ingram moving to the 4 and offseason acquisition Jonas Valanciunas patrolling the paint. New Orleans has rolled with a backcourt of Devonte' Graham and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

Adding Williamson back into the mix would be a welcome sight for New Orleans. The postseason is likely out of reach given the team's tough start, but the Pels can finish the campaign strong and work on building positive momentum into next year.

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson didn't practice Thursday because the "soreness has persisted" in his injured foot.

ESPN's Andrew Lopez reported the update:

Zion Williamson is experiencing soreness in his foot and his return has been delayed.

Williamson did not practice today. The soreness has persisted. No re-imaging has been scheduled at this time.

Williamson will be dialed back before ramping back up next week.

— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) December 2, 2021

Williamson has yet to play during the 2021-22 NBA campaign after offseason surgery on a fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot.

After being drafted by New Orleans first overall in 2019, the Duke product was limited to just 85 games over his first two campaigns. Williamson tore his meniscus during the 2019-20 preseason and missed New Orleans' first 44 games before returning to play 24.

The 21-year-old played 61 games last season but missed time with a thumb sprain and a fractured left ring finger.

When healthy, Williamson is one of the best young forwards in the NBA. He has averaged 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 60.4 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from deep in his career. 

According to ESPN's Lopez and Brian Windhorst, the Pelicans have "poured resources, time and energy to protect Williamson's health," which shows how the franchise values his presence. 

Without Williamson, the Pelicans have struggled this year, going 6-18 for the fourth-worst record in the NBA.

The New Orleans Pelicans announced Friday that All-Star forward Zion Williamson has been cleared for full team activities for the first time since offseason foot surgery.

"Williamson played 4-on-4 full court today and will continue his progression toward returning to play," the team said in a statement. "An estimated date to return to game action has not been determined."

Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin revealed in September that Williamson suffered a fractured right foot at some point during the offseason. The team was hopeful he'd be ready for the start of the 2021-22 NBA season.

"His timeline should get him back on the court in time for the regular season. That would be our hope and our view. And we're very optimistic about what that looks like," Griffin told reporters.

That timetable didn't come to fruition, as Williamson has missed the first 20 games of the campaign, and New Orleans has struggled mightily without him, posting a 4-16 record. Leading scorer Brandon Ingram has also missed seven games.

Along with the foot injury, there were growing concerns about the amount of weight the 21-year-old Duke product put on during his recovery.

Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reported in October that Williamson "reached north of 300 pounds this offseason." The 6'6'' forward's listed playing weight is 284 pounds.

"These are the injuries you have to be the most concerned about, a foot injury for a guy with noted weight issues," a Western Conference executive told Fischer.

The Pelicans were expected to take a step forward this season with the core of Williamson, Ingram and Nickeil Alexander-Walker joined by the additions of Jonas Valanciunas and Devonte' Graham.

Instead, the injury woes have left New Orleans with the NBA's second-worst record and just a 13 percent chance of earning a playoff berth, per FiveThirtyEight.

Meanwhile, another factor in play is Williamson's contract. He'll be eligible for a five-year, $181 million extension after this season, the third of his four-year rookie deal, per Spotrac.

So there are a lot of different variables in play as the Pelicans try to avoid this turning into a lost season while also keeping the long-term outlook in mind.

As Williamson moves to the next stage of his recovery, New Orleans returns to action Friday night as it visits Vivint Arena to take on the Utah Jazz (12-6).

Zion Williamson has yet to play this season as he continues to recover from a fractured foot, but it appears the New Orleans Pelicans have done everything in their power to help the star in his efforts to return to the court. 

The Pelicans have reportedly "poured resources, time and energy to protect Williamson's health," according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Andrew Lopez. The team has changed members of its staff and even made changes to some culinary practices in order to support the former Duke star. 

In addition, ESPN notes that Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin has gone out of his way to send videos to NBA officials showing how Williamson was fouled during games in order to get him more protection with better officiating. 

Griffin also criticized officials in a press conference and was fined $50,000. 

The Pelicans are still unsure when Williamson will make his return to the court as he has only recently been cleared to return to contact practices.

Williamson has played just 85 games since entering the league as the No. 1 pick in 2019. He tore his meniscus during the 2019-20 preseason and missed New Orleans' first 44 games of the season before returning to play 24 games. 

The 21-year-old played 61 games last season, but missed time with a thumb sprain and a fractured left ring finger. He underwent surgery to repair a fractured foot during the offseason, which is why he remains sidelined. 

When healthy, Williamson is one of the most impressive forwards in the league. Last season, he averaged 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 61.1 percent from the field. 

By pouring money into helping Williamson get healthy, the organization likely hopes he'll sign a contract extension. Williamson is under contract through the 2022-23 season, but he will be eligible to sign a rookie extension (five years, $181 million) after the 2021-22 season. 

Without Williamson, the Pelicans are off to a brutal start this season at 2-14, only one win ahead of the last-place Houston Rockets (1-14).  

New Orleans Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson is still working his way back to the court after undergoing offseason foot surgery, and he's taking the next step in his recovery.

The Pelicans announced Williamson has been cleared to resume contact drills. The team says he will start with one-on-one drills before progressing to full-team workouts.

Williamson underwent medical imaging on his right foot Nov. 11 and is set to undergo further imaging Nov. 24 to determine his availability to return to team drills. There is still no official timetable for when he will be able to take the floor this season.

At 21 years old, Williamson is considered one of the most promising young talents in the NBA. He became the fourth-youngest player ever to be selected to an All-Star Game last year, and he has career averages of 25.7 points and 7.0 rebounds on 60.4 percent shooting from the field in two seasons.

But injuries have been an issue for Williamson thus far. He was out for the first three months of his rookie year after suffering a torn meniscus, and he missed 11 games last season with toe and finger injuries. In two years, Williamson has played in just 85 games.

The Pelicans have struggled in Williamson's absence this season, ranking second-to-last in the Western Conference with a 2-13 record. New Orleans ranks 26th in the NBA in both offense (102.0 points per game) and defense (111.3). Leading scorer Brandon Ingram missed seven games with a hip injury before returning Saturday.

While they await Williamson's return, things won't get easier for the Pelicans. They will look to bounce back from Monday's loss to the Washington Wizards with a road game on Wednesday against the Miami Heat, who are 9-5.

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson is still not close to a return to the court after suffering a fractured right foot.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst provided the latest on the forward Thursday (1:52):

"The good news is he is working very hard, he is putting in the sweat equity, he is getting closer, but he is still weeks away," Windhorst said.

Windhorst projected a December return for Williamson, who needs positive results from next week's scans before even returning to practice. 

Pelicans coach Willie Green provided an update on Williamson earlier this month, saying that the player is "progressing."

"He’s cutting, doing explosive work, running, so he’s getting closer and closer," Green said. "But it’s one of those injuries where we want to be really diligent, especially with the foot. We want to be careful with when we put him back on the floor at full go."

New Orleans has struggled mightily without Williamson this season, especially with Brandon Ingram also missing time due to a hip injury. The team is just 1-11 with eight straight losses heading into Thursday.

Williamson's return would go a long way toward turning things around after he averaged 27.0 points per game last year, eighth-most in the NBA. The All-Star added 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while hitting 61.1 percent of his field-goal attempts.

The 2019 No. 1 overall pick finished 11th in the NBA in win shares, per Basketball Reference.

It makes his absence even more significant as the Pelicans must survive at least a few more weeks without Williamson.    

As the New Orleans Pelicans remain mired in one of the poorest starts to this NBA season, league-wide speculation has only increased about the job security of executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin. 

The rumblings began following the Pelicans' 0-3 start (currently a league-worst 1-11 after Wednesday’s loss to OKC), coupled with Griffin's public handling of All-Star forward Zion Williamson's prolonged recovery from offseason foot surgery. New Orleans brass certainly hoped Griffin's tenure would finally lead to a playoff berth, despite its tenuous two years building around Williamson.

Word of a heated exchange between the chief executive and Sacramento Kings associate head coach Alvin Gentry has since circled around the league.

Griffin and Gentry first connected during a shared tenure in Phoenix in the Steve Nash era. Later, as the Pelicans head coach from 2015 to 2020, Gentry played an integral role in helping Griffin land New Orleans' head of basketball operations position in 2019, only for the executive to fire Gentry following just one season. 

While New Orleans projected optimism about competing for a postseason berth during the Orlando bubble, Gentry and a large portion of Pelicans staffers were already prepared for the coach's ouster, sources said, as Griffin was widely known to covet Ty Lue, who was the head coach in Cleveland when Griffin served as the general manager for LeBron James' 2016 championship team. Griffin would often tell team and other league officials that he'd given Gentry "all the answers to the test, and he still fails," sources confirmed to B/R.

That expression was first reported in a September article from NOLA.com, which served as the catalyst for Griffin and Gentry's exchange in New Orleans, sources told B/R. After the Kings defeated the Pelicans 113-109 on Oct. 29, Griffin approached Gentry in the bowels of Smoothie King Center to offer a warm hello to his former head coach, yet Gentry brushed off his initial efforts as inauthentic. 

From there, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the incident, Griffin denied the findings of the NOLA.com article, particularly his "answers to the test" line, and the notion that he played piano for Williamson during the team's bubble stay in Disney World. 

Gentry responded with his own choice words, noting how his eventual replacement, Stan Van Gundy, who was also fired after one season in New Orleans, finished just one game better (31-41) than the Pelicans did under Gentry (30-42) the year he was let go. "You must not have given Stan the answers to the test, either," Gentry shouted at Griffin, according to multiple sources, and the two men had to be separated.

Though Pelican sources say the exchange would have no effect on Griffin's job status, it did become part of the increasing conversation around the league about Griffin's future in New Orleans.

League observers have noted New Orleans' repeated appearances in national television games, that were supposed to feature Williamson, have cast a far larger spotlight on the Pelicans' losing dynamic than otherwise would have existed. 

Griffin was on hand Tuesday night in Madison Square Garden with the rest of the NBA flock that attended the Champions Classic, scouting top Duke prospect Paolo Banchero, among others, and Pelicans staffers have proceeded as normal. 

But it's difficult to imagine New Orleans' slow start turning around any time soon. In addition to Williamson, All-Star scorer Brandon Ingram has been sidelined for the past six games with a hip contusion. 

Head coach Willie Green, the third in Griffin's three seasons in New Orleans, announced on Nov. 1 it will take 2-3 weeks for Williamson's next update in his recovery, let alone a plan to return to game action, sparking concern around the league that Williamson may not see the floor until January.

(Editor's note: This article was updated to correct the date and location of the exchange between Griffin and Gentry, to clarify the exchange’s effect on the discussion of Griffin’s job status, and to adjust the headline to better reflect the article.) 

Jake Fischer covers the NBA for Bleacher Report and is the author of Built to Lose: How the NBA's Tanking Era Changed the League Forever.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson will miss at least 2-3 more weeks as he continues to rehab his foot injury.

Pelicans head coach Willie Green told reporters Williamson was "progressing" in his recovery, but will undergo testing after the two-to-three-week timeline to determine his availability for five-on-five action.

"He's cutting. He's doing explosive work. He's running. He's getting closer and closer," Green told reporters Monday. "It's just one of those injuries where we want to be really diligent, especially with the foot, of being careful when we put him back on the floor at full go."

Williamson has yet to play this season for the Pelicans in his third NBA season after his injury was revealed in September. 

He's been sensational for the Pels despite injuries (torn meniscus in 2019-20 that led to him playing only 24 regular-season games) and some inconsistency on the sidelines (the Pels have employed Alvin Gentry, Stan Van Gundy and now Green as their head coach in each of the past three years, respectively).

The team has also struggled around him, going 30-42 in 2019-20 before improving to 31-41 in 2020-21.

Williamson has done his part, posting 25.7 points on 60.4 percent shooting and 7.0 rebounds in 31.7 minutes per game in his first two seasons. His 27.1 player efficiency rating was fourth in the NBA last year, per Basketball Reference.

This year's squad looks different, with the team adding some notable veteran names in center Jonas Valanciunas and guard Devonte' Graham in the offseason. Without Williamson, the Pelicans have gotten off to a 1-6 start, losing their last three games.

Brandon Ingram has taken on a larger role to start the season, averaging 25 points per game. He will continue to do so until the Pelicans can get Williamson back in the lineup.

The New Orleans Pelicans were once again without their top player Wednesday night. The Atlanta Hawks were not.

And that was the difference in Atlanta's 102-99 win over the Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center that saw the Hawks erase a 16-point first-quarter deficit. While Trae Young continued his excellent start to the 2021-22 season, Zion Williamson remained out of action as he recovers from offseason surgery on his foot.

Brandon Ingram had a chance to give the Pelicans a win in the late stages, but his contested jumper with just over a second remaining was an air ball, and the ball bounced out of bounds to Atlanta.

De'Andre Hunter on Brandon Ingram ... Ingram misses the jumper.

Hawks ball with 1.5 seconds to go, up 1

— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) October 28, 2021

Brandon Ingram forces up a tough shot and the Hawks get possession with 1.5 to go. Rough possession all around. Hawks sent multiple guys at Ingram to possibly seal the game.

— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) October 28, 2021

The Pelicans have tried to pick up the slack in Williamson's absence. After a 1-4 start, however, it's fair to say they've had limited success.

"You can see he is progressing and doing more and more on the floor," head coach Willie Green told reporters after Tuesday's practice, regarding Williamson. "Once he has his latest round of scans, then we’ll have a clearer picture of where we go from here. But he's getting better, he's progressing, he's on the floor now, running, doing a lot more. We'll have an update soon."

Atlanta (3-1) will be happier with their start to the season. It's easier to win when your young superstar is on the court.

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Key Stats

Trae Young, ATL: 31 points, seven assists, five rebounds

John Collins, ATL: 16 points, 12 rebounds

De'Andre Hunter, ATL: 13 points

Brandon Ingram, NOP: 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two blocks

Devonte' Graham, NOP: 21 points, six assists

Jonas Valanciunas, NOP: 16 points, 15 rebounds

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Trae Young Did Trae Young Things

On a night that saw Cam Reddish finally slow his torrid scoring pace to start the season (18.7 PPG coming into Wednesday), the Hawks really needed Young to carry the offense.

So he did. As usual.

13 PTS & 5 AST for @TheTraeYoung at the break.

Presented by @Verizon pic.twitter.com/M4pOjmVdq3

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 28, 2021

Trae gonna Trae pic.twitter.com/4v2bzc9ege

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 28, 2021

YESSSSIR! pic.twitter.com/5Hlb7s0Olc

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 28, 2021

The Hawks have incredible balance, with an impressive collection of role players. But it's fair to argue they don't have a true second star on the roster, meaning on some nights Young is going to have to carry them across the line himself.

Wednesday was one of those nights.

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Devonte' Graham Tried to Pick Up the Slack

With Ingram having the rare off night (8-of-21 from the field)—and Williamson and Josh Hart unavailable—the Pelicans desperately needed someone else to step up.

Graham gave it the old college try, torching the Hawks from beyond the arc (5-of-10).

ANOTHER 3 by Devonte to take back the lead!

Catch the last moments:
📺:  ESPN
📻: @ESPNRadioNOLA pic.twitter.com/H96indwpYC

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 28, 2021

🤯🤯🤯🤯 no words, just DEVONTE GRAHAM

📺:  ESPN
📻: @ESPNRadioNOLA pic.twitter.com/ltPhyvNuAk

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 28, 2021

Devonte' Graham has to lead the league in "just throw it up" shots made

— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) October 28, 2021

It wasn't enough to get a win over a tough Hawks team. But Graham was at least a bright spot for a Pelicans team that has been short on them to start the year.

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What's Next?

New Orleans hosts the Sacramento Kings on Friday night at 8 p.m. ET. The Hawks travel to Washington for a Thursday matchup with the Wizards at 7 p.m. ET.