The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that center Nikola Pekovic will be out indefinitely as he continues his recovery from surgery on his right Achilles. Pekovic underwent a debridement and repair of his right Achilles on April 8, 2015.
“Our main concern is for the health of Nikola,” said Timberwolves General Manager Milt Newton. “Our priority is getting him back on the court, playing at a consistent level for a sustained period of time. After much consulting with Nikola, our medical staff and some of the leading doctors in this field, we believe this is a necessary step in that process.”
“A typical recovery from an Achilles surgery is 9-15 months,” said Timberwolves Vice President of Sports Performance Arnie Kander. “While we’ve made significant strides with Nikola since his surgery, we’ve come to the conclusion that to ensure he has the best opportunity for sustained success on the court, we need to continue to focus on his rehab and make that the priority. We will continue to do that for the foreseeable future with the goal of him returning to the court at the appropriate time. We will continue to provide further updates as they relate to his return to action.”
Pekovic missed the first 35 games of the season before making his season debut on January 6 vs. Denver. He played in 12 games, averaging 4.5 points and 1.8 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per contest. Pekovic has been inactive for the past eight games, beginning Feb. 2 at the Los Angeles Lakers.
Drafted by the Wolves with the 31st overall selection in the 2008 NBA Draft, Pekovic owns career averages of 12.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest in 271 games, all with Minnesota.
[Source: Minnesota Timberwolves press release]
