2:41 PM
Zion's return to the NBA floor has been delayed because of soreness in his surgically repaired right foot.
He was supposed to participate in his first full practice on Thursday but was held out because of his sore body. The soreness has persisted despite not being a sharp pain. The team doesn't think it will be a major issue, but they are cautious.
Willie Green said that it's part of the process. "When you're dealing with injuries and you ramp up some, there's a chance you can deal with a little bit of soreness which he's dealing with now."
The team does not believe there has been a reinjury or new injury after the most recent set of scans.
The team will dial back his workload over the next few days after he progressed to 4-on-4 full-court work. He will return to low-impact work in hopes that the soreness will go away and he will be able to return to full-time work.
"We're very hopeful in that sense," Green said. He can get back to work if the soreness goes away in a few days.
Green said that the man was frustrated with the news, but that he understood it was part of the process.
Green said it's more important to be patient. We're talking about a person's career. It's important to remember that aspect of professional sports. That's how we're looking at it. Getting him back on the floor is being very careful. That is a part of what we are dealing with.
Dealing with the foot injury is one of the things the Pelicans are trying to avoid.
"I think that's the biggest part of us wanting to dial back and reexamine where we are," Green said. We don't want to put our guys on the floor and put their careers in danger. All of our guys are very important.
He has not played this season because of a foot injury. The New Orleans is off to a poor start.
