Zion Williamson’s setback in his recovery from foot surgery, which means the former No. 1 overall pick will see “the volume of his training … reduced for an extended period to help allow for further bone healing,” is just a straight-up bummer.
Williamson has only been able to play 85 games in his NBA career after joining the Pelicans in the 2019 draft. And despite not playing a game since he reached legal drinking age, the 6-6 power forward has career averages of 25.7 points and seven rebounds per game — when he’s been on the floor, he’s been as advertised, following the one season at Duke where Williamson averaged 22.6 points and 8.9 boards.
The foot problems keep Williamson from being able to be active, being unable to be active has led to Williamson packing on pounds, and being too heavy means more stress on Williamson’s feet. It’s not “fat-shaming” to acknowledge that Williamson’s weight poses a greater challenge to him being able to recover and reach his potential, it’s a simple matter of him needing to break that vicious circle, which everyone should be rooting for because he’s an astounding player to watch on the court.
Nobody wants to see Williamson’s career derailed before it even really has a chance to get going. He’s a special player, and figuring out how to get his body right — both his foot and his overall shape — are top priorities. It’s to the Pelicans’ credit that even though the clock ticks every day to when their potential franchise player will be eligible for free agency, New Orleans is shutting him down rather than rushing him back.
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