The New Orleans Pelicans have become the second team to suspend one of their stars this season after announcing their latest move against Zion Williamson. The one-game suspension, which is labeled as a “violation of team policies,” was issued after the young star arrived late to their team flight to Philadelphia this week.
“Sources: New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson has been late for multiple practices this season on top of being late for the team’s flight to Philadelphia,” reported Chris Haynes. “These incidents led to the one-game suspension.”
Zion, 24, is the face of the Pelicans and their biggest star since Anthony Davis. But not even he is above the rules and standards set by the team, which includes showing up to team activities in a timely manner.
“This one-game suspension is a result of failing to meet our team standards. His dedication to this organization is of paramount significance to us and to him,” wrote Pelicans VP David Griffin. “He has taken accountability for his actions and reaffirmed that commitment to the team today. I’m confident he will continue to evolve positively on and off the floor.”
Jimmy Butler was the first player to make headlines this month when he issued his trade request to the Miami Heat. His behavior and lethargic attitude in the locker room led the Heat to suspend the star for 7 games as they actively looked for a trade.
In the case of Zion, his situation isn’t quite as drastic but it’s still a reflection of where he stands with the Pelicans right now. As the team’s leader and best player, Zion is supposed to be setting the example for his teammates and holding them all accountable when they become a detriment to the team.
Instead, Williamson is causing questions about his loyalty by being regularly late to important team events and activities. For years now, there have been rumors that Zion wants a change of scenery and his spotty attendance record has only fed into the theories.
With this latest step, the Pelicans are hoping to send a message to Zion that his habits are not okay and that he needs to make himself more readily available for his team. After years of struggles to even make the playoffs, the Pelicans need all the help they can get right now, and having your best player arriving late to every practice can certainly get in the way.
This season, Williamson has only played in 7 games for the Pelicans and his stats aren’t particularly impressive. So far, he’s averaging 22.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game on 47.1% shooting. As a team, the Pels are having an even worse campaign.
Currently, the Pelicans are dead last in the West at 7-31. They have the second-worst record in the NBA and are a whopping 11.5 games back from the final play-in spot in the West. And now with Williamson having some commitment issues, their position stands to get even worse in the second half of this season.
For now, all they can do is play on and hope that Zion can make amends for his mistakes. After the game tonight against the 76ers, Zion will rejoin the team for their showdown against the Boston Celtics on Sunday, January 12th, at 6:00 PM EST at TD Garden. After that, they play the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on January 14th at 8:00 PM EST.
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