Zion Williamson will be out indefinitely for the Pelicans. —AFP
The injured right foot of New Orleans Pelicans big man Zion Williamson isn’t responding to treatment as hoped and he could need a second surgery, NOLA.com reported.
The No. 1 pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, Williamson has played just 85 games for the franchise. He missed the first three months of the 2019-20 season due to a knee injury, and a fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot has kept him sidelined this entire season.
The injury occurred over the summer, and he’s had setbacks in his effort to return to the court. He had an injection in his foot in December to stimulate healing, per the report.
David Griffin, executive vice president of basketball operations, said recently that an MRI will be performed soon to get a status update.
Williamson, 21, was an All-Star in 2020-21 when he averaged 27.0 points per game.
For his career, Williamson has averages of 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists over 31.7 minutes per game.
Entering play Wednesday, the Pelicans are 23-25 and out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference.