A few weeks ago, it was made known that Zion Williamson had suffered a broken foot that required surgery before summer league started.

While Williamson was very positive on his interviews during that media day, it’s now clear that he’s not going to reach his goal of being ready for the start of the season. In fact, there’s now no timetable for his return and he’ll be evaluated again in two weeks.

That’s a big blow for the Pelicans, but something that’s not surprising. It’s in their best interests to keep Williamson healthy in the long term, and a broken foot for someone who has such an explosive game is an injury to take seriously.

The man-mountain had a promising 2020-21 season for the Pelicans, where he played in 61 of 72 contests. He averaged 27.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 3.7 APG and shot 61.1% from the field. While he wasn’t great from three (29.4%) or the free throw line (69.8%), Williamson is clearly an impact player.

Anxious Pelicans fans (and everyone that drafted him for their fantasy teams) aren’t going to be thrilled with the news, but the best they can hope for now is a good recovery so that he can work himself back into peak performance as the season gets deeper.