More than 10 months since his last game, Zion Williamson is finally making progress in his efforts to return to the court with the New Orleans Pelicans. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the former No. 1 overall pick has been “cleared to progress in basketball activities” and is returning to New Orleans after rehabbing in Portland.
Williamson, 21, was the top pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and earned an All-Star nod during the 2020-21 season. But he hasn’t played at all since the conclusion of that season due to a foot injury that required surgery. While he was medically cleared to return to full basketball activities in November, Williamson was shut down in December due to persistent soreness and a scan that showed “regression in the bone healing.”
Since then, Williamson has been rehabbing on his own. In February, he became the subject of criticism for not welcoming newly acquired C.J. McCollum to the Pelicans with former teammate, J.J. Redick, calling Williamson a “detached” teammate.
That drama has subsided and the Pelicans currently find themselves one of the hottest teams in the NBA. New Orleans has won four straight since the All-Star break with the last three victories coming by at least 28 points. The Pelicans are the first team ever to outscore opponents by more than 100 after the All-Star break.
Last season, Williamson led the Pelicans in scoring with 27.0 points per game to go with 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists. New Orleans is currently 27-36 and in 10th place in the Western Conference.
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