New Orleans Pelicans forward EJ Liddell appears to be progressing in his rehabilitation from a torn right ACL. The rookie was spotted doing on-court work.
Liddell, the 41st pick in the draft, suffered the injury on July 11 while playing in the Las Vegas Summer League. He had surgery in late July to repair the tear and is expected to miss the majority of the season recovering from the injury.
The 22-year-old was seen doing some shooting and other light work after practice on Tuesday, according to Will Guillory of The Athletic. Liddell hasn’t been seen much this season, but the appearance at practice is certainly a positive sign that he is on track in his rehab.
Some positive injury news:
EJ Lidell is in here getting shots up after practice. He's not moving around much, but he is doing some on-court stuff. Don't think we've seen that yet from him.
— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) January 3, 2023
The Pelicans signed Liddell to a two-way contract in October ahead of the start of the season. He wasn’t guaranteed a roster spot as a second-round pick but the organization valued his addition through the draft and was surprised he was still on the board.
Liddell, who was a consensus All-American, averaged 19.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 2.5 assists in 32 games last season as a junior at Ohio State. He led the Big Ten in blocked shots and was ninth in the country in free throws made (169) and seventh in attempts (221).
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