New Orleans Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson has been cleared for contact, he announced on Instagram. He suffered a herniated disc in January and had surgery in April.
"After 8 months out, I can finally play again," he wrote. "Thank you God!"
Here's the accompanying photo:
New Orleans added Omer Asik to its frontline this summer, and the hope is that, if the team stays healthy this time, it can compete for a playoff spot. Anderson is obviously a huge part of what the Pelicans are trying to do, and how he recovers from this will have a major impact on their season. The injury was scary stuff, so it's hard to know how to project his performance. He only played in 22 games last season, but averaged 19.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, shooting 41 percent from 3-point range.
