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Immediately after Zion Williamson returned from injury, the New Orleans Pelicans suspended the forward, according to the team on X. They mentioned that Williamson violated team policies and will be suspended for one game. The Pelicans forward was late for a team flight, according to ESPN insider Shams Charania.
Williamson will miss Friday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers but can rejoin the team on Saturday. This comes as another blow for New Orleans, who have dealt with a variety of injuries. Most notably, Pelicans forward Herb Jones will be out indefinitely after a shoulder injury.
Although it's only a one-game absence, missing a top player doesn't make matters any easier. After all, they had a game where eight players were ruled out with injuries. Williamson was one of those players. Fast forward to now, and he's out due to a suspension.
This is not injury-related at all. Plus, this season might be a done deal for New Orleans. The 7-31 Pelicans could blow up their roster with a variety of potential moves. Brandon Ingram's name has been thrown around in trade rumors. The same case applies to Williamson.
Will Zion Williamson's suspension hurt the Pelicans?
It's a one-game suspension but not having him out on the floor hurts. The team is already injury-riddled, and now a suspension adds more fuel to that fire. Williamson's performance was truly electric for his first game back on Wednesday. He had 22 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block.
Also, he stole the show with a 360 dunk that signaled he's fully healthy. Missing a game though could disrupt some of that momentum. While it's extremely unlikely for the Pelicans to make a playoff run, there's a possibility. After all, the 2016-17 Miami Heat went into the all-star break with an 11-30 record. They finished the second half of the season with a 30-11 record.
The same could happen for a talented New Orleans roster. Still, with the flurry of injuries, it's tough to establish some type of camaraderie. Plus, more details arise about Williamson's suspension, according to Chris Haynes. He's been late for multiple practices, in addition to being late for the team's flight.
It's minor but this could be a domino effect for Williamson and the team. There have been disconnects this season, and growing concerns about his durability. A possible rebuild could be on the way and the former No. 1 overall pick could be the top possession that New Orleans could deal away.
