Zion underwent foot surgery, likely ready for start of season

Zion Williamson underwent surgery for a fractured right foot but should be ready for the start of the regular season, New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin announced Monday.

Griffin added that Williamson sustained the injury earlier in the offseason and the team is "very confident" about his recovery.

"When it first happened, it sucked," Williamson said. "But it's a part of the game. I think I was overdoing it when I was training because I felt like I had this huge chip on my shoulder."

The 2019 first overall pick only played in 24 games in his rookie season due to a torn meniscus but avoided any major injuries during his All-Star sophomore campaign.

Missed games aside, Williamson has been very effective to begin his NBA career, averaging 25.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per contest while shooting 60.4% from the field.