The center was seen on crutches at Thursday’s practice.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be without Ante Zizic for approximately four weeks as the center deals with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.
The 22-year-old missed all four preseason games due to discomfort in soreness in his left foot. His absence was announced in a team issued statement that advised imagining taken at the Cleveland Clinic revealed that the issue was the result of plantar fasciitis.
Zizic does not currently require surgery to address this issue and will undergo a period of treatment and rehabilitation.
Kelsey Russo of The Athletic noted that Zizic was seen on crutches at Thursday’s practice:
Injury update on Ante Zizic from the Cavs:
— Kelsey Russo (@kelseyyrusso) October 17, 2019
He will be out approximately four weeks after experiencing plantar fascitis in his left foot.
He was seen on crutches at practice today. Zizic did not participate in any of the 4 preseason games.
This is a tough blow for Zizic, who would have been in the running for back-up center duties behind Tristan Thompson. John Henson had also missed the entire preseason for the Cavs and is still yet to play his first game for the team.
Zizic had appeared in 59 games for Cleveland last season, but failed to leave a lasting impression overall. His play compared to glimpses in his rookie season looked relatively stagnant, or even a slight regression.
Big men traditionally can take longer to develop, especially on the defensive end. Zizic showing any signs of growth or that he could at least be a rotation player would have been a great story for a team looking for answers at every position.
His setback doesn’t mean that can’t occur this season, but it does make the road to some relevance an uphill one. Nagging foot injuries can be a plague for seven footers, hopefully his recovery is a quick one.
