Pelicans F Zion Williamson draws one-game team suspension
Fri Jan 10 6:16pm ET
Field Level Media
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson was suspended for Friday night's road game against the Philadelphia 76ers for a violation of team policies, vice president of operations David Griffin announced.
According to ESPN, Williamson was late for Thursday's flight to Philadelphia with the rest of the traveling party waiting for a lengthy time period.
It apparently isn't the first time Williamson has been late for a team-related activity.
"There were several occasions that led up to this and that's how we got to this decision," New Orleans coach Willie Green said during his pregame press conference.
Williamson expressed his sorrow for the situation through a statement.
"I take full responsibility for this suspension," Williamson said. "I've worked extremely hard in rehab to get healthy to deliver for this team. There is no excuse for being late to team activities. I have apologized to (Pelicans owner) Mrs. (Gayle) Benson and my teammates and coaches and I also owe an apology to the fans. I can and will be better as a teammate and member of this organization."
Williamson is slated to rejoin the team on Saturday. New Orleans visits the Boston Celtics on Sunday.
Green said the team will look ahead.
"He apologized for his mistakes," Green said. "He's taken accountability. For us, we put the statement out and now we move forward and get ready for tonight's game."
Friday is New Orleans' 39th game. Williamson has played in just seven of them this season due to a hamstring injury and is averaging 22.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists.
Since he was the No. 1 overall pick in 2019, Williams has played in just 191 games while proving to be injury prone. He has career averages of 24.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists.
The Pelicans sustained another blow Friday by announcing that forward Herb Jones is out indefinitely with a torn labrum in his right shoulder.
The damage was detected during an MRI exam performed Thursday.
"It's a difficult blow for Herb and our entire group," Green said. "He means so much to our team and to our organization To not have him on the floor with our guys, it's definitely a blow to our group."
Jones left Wednesday's 119-100 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers after taking three shots from the floor in 18 minutes.
Jones, 26, has averaged 10.3 points with 3.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 20 games (all starts) this season. He also is a standout defender and is averaging 1.9 steals per game.
In four NBA seasons, all with New Orleans after he was drafted in the second round in 2021 out of Alabama, Jones has averaged 10.1 points with 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 240 games (231 starts).
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New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (elbow, shin) will play on Friday against Philadelphia. Murray was initially regarded as questionable for the game due to shin and elbow ailments. With Zion Williamson (suspension) and Trey Murphy III (ankle) out of action, Murray is expected to carry the Pelicans offense with CJ McCollum. The versatile guard has a chance to post 20-plus points for a third consecutive outing for the first time as a Pelican. His recent work also includes a triple-double.
Eric Nehm of The Athletic reports thatMilwaukee Bucks guardDamian Lillard (calf) will play against the Orlando Magic on Friday despite dealing with a left knee contusion. The 34-year-old veteran won't have any restrictions placed on him, as he collected 26 points, five rebounds, and eight assists across 35 minutes in the Bucks' 121-105 win over the Spurs on Wednesday. Fantasy managers in season-long formats should feel comfortable getting Lillard back in their lineups.
Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton (ankle) will be in the lineup on Friday against Golden State. He has been upgraded from questionable to available. Haliburton will look to bag a second consecutive double-double on Friday against a depleted Warriors team. Indiana is considered an 11-point favorite for the contest, meaning there is a high chance of a blowout, which may limit Haliburton's minutes. With this in mind, fantasy managers might not get full value out of Haliburton on Friday.
According to Alex Golden of the Setting the Pace podcast, Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner(illness) has been upgraded to available to play against the Golden State Warriors. Turner was listed on the injury report earlier in the day due to dealing with an illness. The 28-year-old will go up against a banged-up Golden State Warriors team who will be downDraymond Green(back),Jonathan Kuminga(ankle), and maybeTrayce Jackson-Davis(eye - questionable).
Philadelphia 76ers guardKyle Lowry(hip) will miss his third straight game on Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans due to soreness in his right hip. Lowry's next opportunity to return to the floor is versus the Magic on Sunday. While the 38-year-old is sidelined, the Sixers must lean heavily onTyrese Maxey. Reggie Jackson,Eric Gordon, and Jeff Dowtin are some guard options that the Sixers could also use.
According to Shams Charania, New Orleans Pelicans forwardZion Williamson(suspension) won't suit up against the 76ers due to being suspended one game for violating team policies. Williamson's next opportunity to return to the floor is on Sunday against Boston. Herbert Jones(shoulder) will also be missing in action. With Williamson and Jones sidelined, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl,Javonte Green, andBrandon Boston will take on more minutes and will potentially have more scoring chances than usual.
The Orlando Magic announced that Orlando Magic forwardPaolo Banchero(oblique) is expected to make his return on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks. Banchero has missed the last 34 contests due to a right oblique strain. Fantasy managers need to be aware that while the 22-year-old should jump back into the Magic's starting five, his minutes will likely be restricted in the contest. Caleb Houston and Tristan Da Silva could see some extra minutes for the time being against Milwaukee.
Denver Nuggets forwardAaron Gordon (calf) is listed as doubtful for Friday's matchup with the Brooklyn Nets. Gordon has been out eight consecutive contests due to a calf issue. If he is unavailable for this evening his next opportunity to suit up comes on Sunday against the Mavs. The 29-year-old has played well this season, but he's only been on the floor for 16 games. Russell Westbrookwill likely continue to get the nod to start in place of Gordon until his return.
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (illness) has been listed on the injury report as questionable while he deals with an illness. If he's able to give it a go, he'll go up against a banged-up Golden State Warriors team who will be down Draymond Green (back), Jonathan Kuminga (ankle), and maybe Trayce Jackson-Davis (eye - questionable). On the other hand, Thomas Bryant would probably stay in the starting five if Turner doesn't suit up. Bryant posted 22 points, eight rebounds, one assist, and two steals in their last game against the Bulls.
Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox (glute) has been ruled out for a third consecutive game and will miss Friday's matchup against the Boston Celtics. The star point guard is still plagued by a right glute contusion and there hasn't been any official word on his return. Keon Ellis has taken over the spot in the starting five and has averaged 14.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.5 steals while Fox has been out. He serves as the best streaming option in most leagues while Kevin Huerter could be deployed into lineups in deeper leagues.
Golden State Warriors forward/center Draymond Green (back) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers due to a back injury. The veteran is likely receiving some rest in the second half of their back-to-back after posting seven points, five rebounds, four assists, one steal, and three blocks on Thursday. With Jonathan Kuminga (ankle) also ruled out, Kevon Looney will likely move into the starting five unless Trayce Jackson-Davis (eye - questionable) can suit up. Looney provides solid rebounding and blocks while Jackson-Davis would be the better streaming option if he plays.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (shoulder) is now out indefinitely due to a torn labrum in his right shoulder. ESPN's Shams Charania reports that Jones will be sidelined and there likely won't be any timetable on his return for a little while. Jones left their last game against the Trail Blazers with the shoulder injury after playing 18 minutes and registering one assist and two steals. Jones has been the team's best defender, so there are some big shoes to fill for the 7-31 Pelicans. With a lot of their wings on the injury report, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Brandon Boston Jr. will likely be the best streaming options.
Philadelphia 76ers guard/forward Paul George (groin) is listed as probable for Friday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans after being able to practice on Thursday despite the left groin tightness he was experiencing. George only needed to miss one game this time around after posting 13 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and two steals in their game against the Suns. George has been a better contributor on defense and other traditional stats outside of efficiency so far this season.
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) has drawn a questionable status on Friday for their matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Knicks will likely need all hands on deck to beat the Western Conference-leading Thunder despite Chet Holmgren (hip) being out. Towns was able to play against the Raptors on Wednesday and posted a stat line of 27 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, three steals, and two blocks. If he's downgraded, Jericho Sims would move into the starting five while Precious Achiuwa would get some more minutes off of the bench. Achiuwa is the more consistent producer for fantasy managers looking for a streamer in that case.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (foot) will miss another game due to the foot sprain he suffered against the Brooklyn Nets. While he watches from the sidelines on Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans, Guerschon Yabusele will likely get the starting spot again since Andre Drummond (toe) is also out. Yabusele turned in a huge game on Wednesday with 21 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one steal while knocking down five threes. He remains the best streaming option whenever Embiid is out.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (knee) will miss Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers while the team manages his knee injury. The superstar sharpshooter does get some back-to-back games off, so that the team can maximize his health throughout the season, and this is one of those cases. With the rest of the backcourt banged up, Dennis Schroder and Moses Moody (knee - probable) will likely see plenty of playing time. Schroder and Buddy Hield would serve as the best streaming options though as they both started in their last game and posted 13 points, six assists, and 19 points with five rebounds, respectively.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (ankle) drew a questionable tag for Friday's game against the Golden State Warriors while dealing with a right ankle sprain. The star point guard hasn't missed a game yet this season, so this could be his first absence through the first 39 games. If he's unable to suit up, Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin will get instant boosts in fantasy value while T.J. McConnell may move into the starting five. Nembhard had the biggest game of the three in their last game with 14 points, six rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (elbow/shin) is considered questionable for Friday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. If he's able to play, he should receive a sizeable fantasy boost with Trey Murphy III (ankle), Herbert Jones (shoulder), and Brandon Ingram (ankle) all ruled out. With that being said, if he's downgraded to out, CJ McCollum would likely lead the offense. Javonte Green and Jordan Hawkins would both get some extra opportunities with the latter more likely to have a bigger role in the offense.
Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (back) has been ruled out for the fourth consecutive game while he deals with a lower back strain. There hasn't been any official word on when he may return, so fantasy managers will likely have to take his status day by day. In the meantime, Cole Anthony and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope continue to be the starting backcourt. Anthony did a little of everything on Thursday against the Timberwolves with 12 points, five assists, three rebounds, two steals, and two blocks across 27 minutes.
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (conditioning) has officially been listed as questionable for Friday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Shams Charania of ESPN reported earlier this week that Banchero would likely make his long-awaited return on Friday, so this could be more of a formality to make sure he feels okay through shootaround and warmups. Just in case, fantasy managers can look to Caleb Houstan as a streaming option after he posted 14 points, one rebound, one assist, and four threes in the first half of their back-to-back on Thursday.
