The New Orleans Pelicans took a double hit Friday as defensive star Herb Jones was sidelined indefinitely with a torn shoulder labrum, while Zion Williamson got suspended for missing team activities.
Jones’s MRI on Thursday confirmed the bad news – it’s a posterior labrum tear in his right shoulder. The injury happened during Wednesday’s game against Portland.
This is the same shoulder that’s already given Jones trouble this season. He missed 18 games earlier before coming back on December 5th and starting 16 straight.
The 26-year-old has been a key piece for New Orleans when healthy, putting up 10.3 points per game and nabbing nearly two steals every night. He’s only been able to play in 20 of the team’s 38 games this year.
Just last month, Jones showed what he can bring to the court. He dropped a season-high 24 points against Oklahoma City, shooting a red-hot 80% from the field.
Since joining the Pelicans as the 35th pick in 2021, Jones has become one of the NBA’s best defenders. He made the All-Defensive First Team last season – pretty impressive for a second-round pick.
But that wasn’t the only headache for Pelicans fans on Friday.
The team suspended Zion Williamson for one game after he showed up late to multiple practices and missed the team flight to Philadelphia. The timing couldn’t be worse – Williamson had just returned Tuesday after sitting out 26 games with a hamstring injury.
“This one game suspension is a result of failing to meet our team standards,” said David Griffin, the team’s VP of basketball operations.
Williamson owned up to his mistakes. “I take full responsibility,” he said. “There is no excuse for being late to team activities.”
The Pelicans are starting a tough three-game road trip, facing the 76ers, Celtics, and Bulls. They’ll have to do it without both their defensive anchor and their superstar forward – at least for the first game.
