Pelicans big man Zion Williamson's season debut has been pushed back until the calendar flips to 2022, the team confirmed on Thursday.
The third-year All-Star is out an additional 4-6 weeks after receiving a "biologic injection" in his right foot to stimulate the recovery process after having offseason surgery, the Pelicans said in a statement.
Williamson's highly anticipated season debut has already been delayed at least once, reportedly due to a setback with the foot and amid concerns about his overall conditioning.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft has yet to appear in a game this season, after earning his first All-Star nod last year. He was ruled out to start the season after the surgery in the summer, and was recently cleared to participate in full team activities in anticipation of a potential return.
The comeback bid was put on hold, however, officially because imaging showed "regression" in the healing of Williamson's foot. He was also reported to have ballooned up to 330 pounds while sidelined by the injury.
Williamson has been dominant in the NBA when healthy, averaging 25.7 points on elite 60.4-percent shooting over his past two seasons. However, the 6’6” forward has constantly encountered injuries throughout his young career, appearing in just 85 of New Orleans’ 172 games (49.4 percent) since arriving from Duke as a one-and-done.
The new-look Pelicans have struggled mightily without Williamson, going 9-21 in their first 30 games without the face of their franchise.
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