The New Orleans Pelicans confirmed this week that rookie Zion Williamson would need to sit out for up to eight weeks due to a torn meniscus that required surgical repair. It goes without saying that the hype surrounding Williamson's entry to the NBA will be toned down a bit as the league awaits for more updates.
The latest from the Pelicans indicated the 2019 No. 1 draft pick, who NBC Sports said it is touted to be the heir-apparent to LeBron James, could be sidelined for at least more than a month.
"Zion Williamson underwent successful arthroscopic surgery today to address a torn right lateral meniscus. The routine debridement was performed by Dr. Jason Folk with assistance from Team Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Misty Suri. The timetable for his full return to play is estimated at six to eight weeks," the club's statement was reported as saying.
NBA pundits are in agreement that Williamson's injury will serve as a big blow to New Orleans's campaign, but one expert said the health issue could potentially result in a long-term struggle for the power forward.
According to Dr. Brian Sutterer, the knee injury that hit Williamson could potentially impact on his NBA career over the long term.
"I was concerned about his long term health and possible injury risk, and now there are more things we need to be thinking about when it comes to possible knee injuries and other injuries for Zion Williamson down the road," Dr. Sutterer said in a clip posted on YouTube.
Following the surgery performed on Williamson, the chief concern now is the player's ability to live and operate with an injured knee that will surely heal but is unlikely to remain robust as before. Possible issues that Williamson will need to deal with is the threat of arthritis and the likelihood of further abuse that his injured knee will need to brace for, the medical doctor said.
Depending on how he will heal, it is possible that Williamson's injury will have an effect on the sustainability of his basketball career, Dr. Sutterer suggested.
While Williamson is tipped largely to dominate the NBA in the coming years, but that happening will depend on how healthy he would be. Another possible problem for the rookie is his heavy bodyweight that Forbes said could make it hard for Williamson to deal with the punishing NBA season.
Williamson needs to be guided into losing at least 15 pounds to achieve the optimal weight for a competitive stay at the NBA, the report said, quoting Cheryl Miller.
"If he wants longevity in this league in being the type of player that we've seen, he has to do the right things by his body, period, period," said Miller.
