2 min read • December 08, 2021
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Pelicans franchise cornerstone Zion Williamson continues to face complications in his rehab from a preseason right foot fracture and subsequent surgery he underwent in Sept., most recently being “dialed back” on Dec. 2 after experiencing foot soreness.
Based on the nature and severity of the Jones fracture and it's slow recovery, coupled with Williamson's unique playing style and reported weight gain, we suspect that the 2021 all-star is still a ways away from his return, which will likely come well into the 2022 calendar year, at which point the 7-19 Pelicans may already be out of playoff contention.
The 22-year-old was cleared for full basketball activities on Nov. 26, and he had been doing 4-on-4 full court work, but the team slowed his rehab less than a week later after he reported experiencing soreness in his right foot.
Head coach Willie Green said the team is in “wait-and-see mode,” as they try to be diligent with Williamson early in his career. Green followed up on Dec. 7 that he has not progressed and is still feeling soreness.
The back-and-forth nature of his recovery is not surprising, as the Jones fracture is the type of stress fracture that happens due to lack of blood flow, thus the healing timeline is slower. But the fact that he is still experiencing soreness 3 months after the surgery indicates that he is at least multiple weeks away.
Possibly exacerbating the healing is Williamson’s weight fluctuation as he has been in-and-out of the lineup in his young career. ESPN’s Tim McMahon said on The Lowe Post podcast Tuesday that Williamson’s weight has clocked in at as high as 330 pounds, this coming after a picture of the 3rd-year forward made the rounds on social media earlier this week.
General Manager David Griffin and the 6-foot-6 forward have both expressed that they are still trying to find his ideal playing weight that does not sacrifice the strength and explosiveness that makes him a generational talent. However, he has maintained a playing weight of around 285 since college. Even if he was closer to 315 pounds now, to safely get back to 285 without sacrificing his needed muscle mass and energy would take around 30 days. He won’t be able to work himself into game shape, however, until the soreness subsides.
The danger with playing over his ideal weight is the potential added force to his lower body, not only the foot but the surgically-repaired right knee.
Because of his explosive playing style, every extra pound of weight can add up to 10 pounds of force, therefore if he was even 15 pounds above his ideal weight, it would mean 150 extra pounds of force applied to his foot and knee. Similar to young Charles Barkley, he could play effectively at an elevated weight – though not at the exceptional level he was at last year – but the key is maintaining his long-term health.
There are many variables to a healthy and successful return for Zion Williamson, but the best-case scenario is the soreness will subside by New Years, and he can return to functional game shape for a February return. But, at this point, it is a waiting game for the Pelicans and their young star.
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