Zaza Pachulia said Thursday that he is out indefinitely as he awaits final medical reports from the second and third opinions he received on his ailing right Achilles.
Pachulia will miss his seventh straight game Friday when the Hawks take on the Suns. The center said the soreness in his Achilles has gotten worse, prompting the additional medical advice. It will also be the 13th game in the past 24 he has missed with the condition.
“Right now, I can just say that I’m out indefinitely,” Pachulia told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Friday. “We are in the process of different treatments. There is no timeframe. All I can say is it is indefinite. There is no report from the doctors yet. Basically, every day matters. We are expecting it to get better. We don’t know when or how soon. Hopefully the treatments will help.”
Pachulia said he is wary of possibly tearing the tendon which would be a lengthy recovery of the soon to be unrestricted free agent.
“Obviously you don’t want to mess with an Achilles,” Pachulia said. “That is for sure. I know from Dominique (Wilkins) that he tore his Achilles and he was out for a whole year. It’s very, very dangerous. It’s a sensitive subject where I am in my career right now. You don’t want to mess with an Achilles that is for sure. I want to make sure everybody is on the same page and we make the right calls and do the right things with the treatment.”
Pachulia has played in 52 games this season, including 15 starts, and is averaging 5.9 points and 6.5 rebounds in 21.8 minutes.
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