Al Jefferson: Facing five-game suspension

Jefferson has been suspended five games for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy, NBA.com reports. "We are disappointed in Al's decisions that led to this suspension," the Hornets organization said in a statement Wednesday. "As an organization, we do not condone this behavior. We have addressed this with Al. He is regretful and understands that we expect him to learn from this mistake."

Analysis:

Jefferson is currently out with a calf injury, so he won't be able to begin serving the suspension until he returns to active status. At this point, it's unclear exactly when that will be, so Jefferson is likely to miss more than five games given the combination of the injury and suspension. Cody Zeller is expected to continue to start in his place, with Frank Kaminsky and Spencer Hawes both in position to see increased run off the bench.