Pelicans vice president David Griffin isn't happy with the way Zion Williamson is officiated and believes it's why he was injured.

New Orleans Pelicans power forward Zion Williamson is out indefinitely with a fractured left ring finger, an injury that executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said was "avoidable" if the league did a better job officiating his franchise superstar.

Griffin didn't specify when the injury occurred, but Williamson appeared to hurt the finger while attempting to get a rebound in Tuesday's 108-103 win over the Golden State Warriors.

"I believe he probably suffered the injury over a period of time," Griffin said.

Griffin's comments came during a striking 13-minute news conference Friday in which he went after the league for the way Williamson has been officiated this season.

We told the NBA through every means available to us, through sending in film, through speaking to everybody in the officials department and everybody in basketball operations, that the way they were officiating Zion was going to get him injured," Griffin said.

Entering Friday, Williamson was second to Giannis Antetokounmpo in total free throw attempts and behind only Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid and Trae Young in free throw attempts per game this season.

In my opinion, he should easily lead the league in free throw attempts.

Zion Williamson is fourth in the league in free throw attempts per game, but the Pelicans believe he should be getting to the line even more.

"He's a player that wanted to be available to his teammates so badly that he played through an injury that quite frankly nobody else would've played through," Griffin said