Zion Williamson will be out for the Pelicans on Wednesday as they take on the Los Angeles Clippers due to health and safety protocols, the team announced on Wednesday afternoon.
Williamson will join Lonzo Ball on the sideline for the game. Ball is set to miss the contest due to bilateral knee tendinopathy. That leaves the Pelicans down two starters with a third, Eric Bledsoe, still listed as questionable heading into the contest.
To date, the Pelicans have largely avoided a COVID-19 outbreak within the team. The exact circumstances surrounding Williamson are not yet known as he may have been exposed to a person who tested positive.
Without Williamson and Ball, the Pelicans will likely start JJ Redick and Josh Hart alongside Bledsoe, Brandon Ingram and Steven Adams. For a team that has also only played eight guys off the bench at times this season, Wednesday’s game will be a tough test for New Orleans’ depth.