BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. — Someone asked me recently how old you have to be to be considered an old timer. My answer was that it’s not a number, it’s a state of mind.

Here are some examples in the style made famous by comedian Jeff Foxworthy.

You might be an old timer if you remember when the hoods on coupes ran uphill to the radiator, not down in an aerodynamic swoop. The reason was simple, as the design of Ford flatheads made them prone to overheating and spraying water on the distributor, so racers ran huge radiators that wouldn’t fit under the conventional hood.

One exception we remember was Hall of Famer Steve Danish, famous for beating the Fords with his six-cylinder GMCs. He always said he’d give up two cylinders anytime for an overhead-valve engine that didn’t overheat.

You might be an old timer if someone mentions famed NSSN editor and TV broadcaster Chris Economaki and you know who he is. More and more we get a blank look from younger people when we mention Economaki, which is disconcerting at best.

You might be an old timer if you remember when race cars were transported on ramp trucks instead of in smaller enclosed trailers or huge stacker trailers. We recently ran into DIRTcar President Brian Carter, racing his pro stock while on vacation. When told we loved his hauler, the first ramp truck we’d seen in years, he tipped it was Dick Trickle’s.

Come to think of it, you might be an old timer if you remember when Trickle was the king of the Midwest late models.

For sure, you’re an old timer if you remember when race cars were flat-towed to the race track with a tow bar. Looking back, it seems that drivers roughed each other up less in those days, knowing they’d have to hire a tow truck to get their car home if they bent it up.

One of our earliest racing memories is heading out with my father in a black Chrysler with scotch plaid upholstery off the used car lot with his flathead Plymouth coupe in tow.

You might be an old timer if you remember when getting lapped meant you were a lap down until you passed the leader and got back on the lead lap. There were no lucky dogs or sending all the lapped cars around to the tail of the field. We understand the argument that Richard Petty used to win by eight or 10 laps and the race wasn’t exciting.

But we also believe that on short tracks, if the leader has to work hard to lap back markers, then those chasing him should, too.

You might be an old timer if you remember when a racing program was three heats, a consi and a feature for a single class. If you’re not quite that old, you’ll recall when a supporting class was added. But just one, not the five or six seen today. Hot laps were at 7:30, racing at 8 p.m. and most nights everyone was out the gate by 10.

You might be an old timer if you remember when women and children were not allowed in the pits. Women, especially, felt discriminated against and rightly so. Speedways and sanctioning bodies, at least, can say they were on the equality bandwagon well before much of the rest of the world.

You might be an old timer if you remember when all the cars didn’t look alike. Instead of coming from a handful of fabricators, they were all homebuilt with coupes, sedans, Pintos and other compacts shortened and narrowed in a variety of styles that made each car unique.

It was a lot more work to build a car, but they were often raced for a few years, then sold to a beginner in the class.

When we built a new car, we bought an adapter from a Chevy engine to a Ford top-shifter transmission, a quick-change center section, a fuel cell, a seat and some engine parts. The rest we built or adapted from junkyard parts. Now teams would be out of business if UPS or the fab shops closed down.

Finally, you might be an old timer if you used to get all of your racing news from NSSN and the many other regional trade papers across the nation.

Sadly, the Northeast, which at one time had four trade papers, now has only Len Sammons’ Area Auto Racing News. The situation is the same across the nation, with almost all the trades merely a memory.

Websites, Facebook and other social media are all good and their immediacy is handy. But if you still like your news on a printed page, you are definitely an old timer.

SAN TAN VALLEY, Ariz. – The fourth annual tour for IMCA divisions has released the February schedule, with significant changes from prior years.

The 2020 series will see the return of IMCA stock cars to the tour, joining IMCA modifieds and IMCA Northern sport mods for each race.

The tour starts at Arizona Speedway on Thursday, Feb. 6 with a practice night with a pair of three division shows the following two nights.

The next stop on the tour is Central Arizona Speedway at the fairgrounds east of Casa Grande, for races on Sunday, Feb. 9 and again on Tuesday, Feb. 11.  Feb. 10 will be an off day, as will Feb. 12 following the CAS races.

The tour then moves further south to USA Raceway in Tucson for a Thursday, Feb. 13 practice night, followed by race nights on Feb. 14-15. Feb. 16 is a possible rain date.

Last year the IMCA modified champion was Ricky Thornton Jr. The Adel, Iowa driver formerly lived in Chandler, Ariz., and had a dominant series, winning four times and finishing in the top five in all seven races.

The IMCA Northern Sport Mod title ended in a tie between Jake McBirnie and Brady Bjella.  McBirnie was named the champion, as his three wins decided the title.

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has been pictured alongside Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane in Dubai, following a summer of speculation the pair were interested in linking up in the Spanish capital.

Pogba had said he was interested in a "new challenge," while Zidane made his admiration for his compatriot public. However, Pogba stayed at Old Trafford.

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But this image, captured by UK newspaper the Daily Mirror, adds to the speculation Pogba could make a move to the Bernabeu in the future.

Sources have told ESPN FC that Pogba remains Zidane's No. 1 midfield target, while president Florentino Perez is keen to sign Christian Eriksen from Tottenham in a cut-price deal.

United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was asked about the picture in his news conference previewing Sunday's huge clash with Liverpool at Old Trafford, but said he did not have a problem with it.

"Paul is part of our plan," Solskjaer said. "He's been playing through the pain barrier but when he came back against Rochdale and Arsenal he wanted to play but it was too painful.

"He's on the way back and he's recovering. It's a picture and when you play for Manchester United you have pictures taken and there's speculation. I don't have any problem with that at all."

Zidane also played down the encounter when asked in his news conference ahead of Saturday's trip to Mallorca.

"[It was] pure chance," he said. "He was there and I was too.

"And, as we know each other, we spoke. I won't tell you what it's about as it's personal. We have known each other for a long time. We crossed paths, we stopped and we spoke."

Asked whether, Pogba remains an option in January, he said: "There are many options, just like for every club. When we reach this date, the clubs will decide.

"We have a squad, with some players unable to play, but tomorrow we will have 11 players and others on the bench. We will find a solution"

He added: "Until the end of January every club will be able to sign [but] I care about tomorrow's game and I can't think about signings. It's far and it's not the most important thing."

Sources have told ESPN FC that Pogba has made clear his desire to leave United but that the club are relaxed about the situation because the midfielder has two years on his contract with the option of a further 12 months.

United are keen to negotiate a fresh contract with the 26-year-old but if they meet a roadblock they would value the France international at between £180 million and £200m and there is significant doubt about whether interested clubs such as Real Madrid and Juventus could afford to finance a deal.

Pogba, 26, has missed much of the season through injury and will again sit out the game against Liverpool due to a problem with his ankle, and has been aiding his recovery with training in Dubai.

Jurgen Klopp has dismissed the comparison between his start at Liverpool to under-fire Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's spell in Manchester United's dugout ahead of Sunday's showdown at Old Trafford.

The Norwegian, who was handed a three-year contract in March after a successful period as caretaker manager, but has a return of just 14 points from 15 league games since gaining the position permanently, has requested time to fully implement his vision. Chief executive Ed Woodward has summarised this as "winning trophies, playing attacking football and giving youth a chance."

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To that end, a stat circulated on Friday comparing Klopp's first 29 league matches in charge at Anfield to Solskjaer's at United, with the latter boasting a superior record by two points.

"You can never compare situations -- mine when I came in and his now," Klopp said in response to that finding at Melwood. "Man United is a massive club and no one is really ready to wait for success.

"It was not much different for me. If you asked after those 29 games, I'm sure there was not 100 per cent agreement that I was the perfect manager for Liverpool. That's how it is.

"If there was doubt internally [about Solskjaer], that would be bad but as long as it's only externally, that's not important. It's not important what you write. It's important what the board, Woodward and the Glazer family tell him. I have no clue and no opinion.

"I want every manager in the world to have as much time as they can get to bring through their ideas, but you can never compare situations."

Klopp was bemused when asked whether he has offered Solskjaer any advice, responding: "No. He doesn't need it.

"He was at the club for 10-15 years, he knows everything there, he has experience in football. He knows what he has to do. It just has to work out, how it has to for all of us.

"That's why so many of us get the sack, because if someone internally loses the patience, then we have to go. From my point of view, it looks like he is settled there. They all knew it was a difficult job.

"Nobody loses to you because you are Liverpool or Manchester United, it's about what you do on the pitch. Opponents are all on their toes and motivated when you come there. That's part of a big challenge we face.

"You don't have to worry about Ole, he is in a big position and has the chance to win the game on the weekend. We want to make sure it doesn't happen."

Klopp has been riled by much of the build-up, which has billed Sunday's encounter as a non-contest due to United's form.

"Sky made a combined line-up and had 11 Liverpool players," he said. "That's like a joke, like building a banana skin.

"The world in the moment is a circus, and we are at the centre -- a couple of people want us to win, a couple want us to lose. I'm not influenced by it. I am 100 per cent aware of the strength of Manchester United and I expect their best possible line-up.

"A couple of days ago Ole said 'no chance' for [David] De Gea and [Paul] Pogba, today it's a 'maybe' and tomorrow it's a 100 per cent [Anthony] Martial will be back.

"This is a really good football side. They are in a situation which they don't like, and they want to change it. We have to make sure if they want to change it they have to start a week later."

The news came through while Lionel Messi was collecting his sixth Golden Shoe. In one corner of a side room at the old Damm beer factory in Barcelona, a small group gathered, wondering what would happen next and what they were going to do about it: Barcelona staff, directors and president. Through the door, Messi and his teammates Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba probably hadn't heard yet, but soon they would. The league had just written to the federation to get them to switch the clásicos around. In ten days' time, they wouldn't play Real Madrid at the Camp Nou, after all. They would play them at the Santiago Bernabeu instead.

That, at least, was the proposal. As it turns out, they won't be playing at all. Not until December 18, according to the clubs' proposal, some seven weeks on. Assuming it's even clear to play then. Just when an agreement had been met, the clubs finding a solution between themselves, the league challenged it, harmony broken again.

How did we get here?

"It doesn't make any sense," someone said in that corner when that first proposal came through. Switch the clasicos? At this late stage? Don't be daft. The draw was made already, the fixtures set (well, as much as fixtures in Spain are ever set). How could you switch the games around? There was no way Barcelona were going to accept that. As it turned out, there was no way Madrid would either. At that early stage, there were smiles in that corner, like this wasn't really something to be taken that seriously. Why wouldn't they just play the clásico as planned, on Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. local time, they wondered.

That same night came part of the answer, if not all of it: a third night of disturbances followed, with confrontations and fires on the streets of Barcelona. Rubber bullets were fired. Outside the Damm factory, as those Barcelona directors discussed it, some roads had been blocked. Parts of the main train station were fenced off, the police presence heavy. There were demonstrations. The day before, Ivan Rakitic had been among those who had landed at the airport to find huge crowds, protests and police; some had been stuck inside, some outside. Transport was at a standstill, people and cars unable to reach the terminal building. A photo emerged of Rakitic walking down a slip road, wheeling his case behind him.

Sport is endlessly told not to interfere with politics, with athletes warned to stay in their lane as if being a footballer makes you less of a citizen; less is said about politics interfering with sport.

On Monday, Spain's Supreme Court had sentenced nine Catalan political leaders to jail sentences ranging from nine to 11 years for their part in a referendum on Catalan independence that was declared illegal, and in the failed push towards independence. Protests followed, as they were always likely to. Barcelona's statement, released immediately after the judgement, said prison was not the solution. Don't mix politics and sport, many responded; some were disgusted Barcelona had done so. But Gerard Piqué declared himself proud of his club. Pep Guardiola and Xavi Hernández were among those speaking out. Barcelona cancelled all official club events.

The clásico was coming up. Not the next game -- Barca visit Eibar on Sunday -- but the next home game. And not any game, the clásico: Spain's showcase match, the biggest club match on the planet, moved to 1 p.m. in the afternoon to reach as many homes in global TV markets as possible, to show off what's best about the country and its football.

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The clásico is already perhaps the most politically charged fixture in club football, held in a stadium where there are already political messages; where there are chants for independence in the 17th minute and 14th second of both halves; where the game against Las Palmas had been played without fans following clashes in the wake of that referendum on Oct. 1, 2017; where a huge banner had been unfolded numerous times claiming that only dictatorships jail political leaders. Now, the court had ruled they should be imprisoned.

Before one clásico a few years ago, a Spanish newspaper had led with the headline "only football?" They knew it was never only football. This time, it would be so much more given the context. Next Saturday's clásico could have proven to be even bigger than those other moments, the accompanying noise louder than ever before.

That was one of the things, Javier Tebas, the president of the league, was worried about. Politically right-wing, a member of the Fuerza Nueva when he was young -- he's aligned to VOX now -- Tebas has spoken often of Spanish football playing a role of a sport in service of the nation. He talks often about Marca Espana, "Brand Spain" -- football as ambassador for the nation. In the midst of this climate, the clásico, the most-watched game of all, might become a scene of protest, a platform for independence, a loud speaker for the Catalan cause and one they would seize upon - an image sent around the world. The league didn't want that; nor did the Spanish government.

Above all there were safety concerns, the league said. Their request to move the game had cited "exceptional circumstances beyond our control." A demonstration had been called for the day of the clásico, Oct. 26. Roads would be blocked, the police presence would be heavy, resources already stretched. Could the stadium cope? Could the city? Real Madrid would travel there not just for the game, but the night before. Their supporters would be there too. Not many, admittedly -- there never are for clásicos, sadly -- but some would, as would football fans from around the world excited for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Those who were planning to travel might be unsafe, inconvenienced. Instead, they are going to miss out. Barcelona will return the cost of match tickets but trains, planes and hotels are another matter.

A union representative from the Barcelona police, the Mossos, said he thought security could be guaranteed. The city mayor considered it better to maintain normality. Other sporting events are going ahead this weekend; others have gone ahead in the past in extremely trying circumstances. The interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska denied asking the game to be postponed, saying that as far as safety was concerned, the game could go ahead. Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde called it "an opportunity, a chance to show that we can play on despite the doomsayers." Barcelona expressed their "total confidence in the civil and pacific attitude of our fans, who always express themselves in an exemplary way at the Camp Nou."

Which, depending on your point of view, is debatable. But, anyway, was it worth the risk, any risk? The situation wasn't normal.

The league's request was sent on to the federation, who put it in the hands of the competition committee. The committee, made up of three people -- one from the league, one from the federation, one independent -- rejected the switch idea but they did want a solution and they didn't want to play it at the Camp Nou next Saturday. Informal conversations were held and they gave the clubs until Monday to respond in writing, which they both did sooner. The decision would be the committee's, everyone said, only that ended up not being the case: the committee passed it back again. Madrid and Barcelona would decide.

On Friday morning, it was officially announced that the clásico had been postponed. It would not be played on Oct. 26. The clubs were given until Monday at 10 a.m. local time to agree on a new, alternative date. If they could not, the committee would decide. Real manager Zinedine Zidane still didn't know what was happening when he sat before the media. "We'll play when they tell us to," he said.

There was no really good solution, and so everyone waited for the least bad one. It's not easy. The clubs' initial preference, and that of the federation (and thus the likely outcome), is to play at the Camp Nou on Wednesday, Dec. 18.

The league was not happy. That meant playing on a Wednesday, a work day, which in turn meant not playing at 1 p.m local time. TV audiences would drop, at least in theory and internationally, that was true. Deals had been signed on certain premises that might not now be met. The league had chosen kick-off times carefully for viewers outside Spain, earmarking one clásico for Asia in terms of timing and one for America: in Tebas' eyes, it would be Marca España reaching both sides of the globe. This was Asia's, but not any more. Playing on Dec. 18 would mean Asia not getting their clásico, Brand Spain not heading east. (Brand Catalonia not doing so either).

The league pushed for Saturday, Dec. 7 instead, which would have meant rescheduling Barcelona vs. Mallorca and Madrid vs. Espanyol, the fixtures originally set for that weekend and therefore solving one problem by turning it into two.

But then, on Friday afternoon, Madrid announced that they and Barcelona had reached an agreement for on Dec. 18 that should, should end it there and might just serve as an example for others outside the game to follow. Maybe sport should get involved in politics after all.

It is a fact universally acknowledged that things change dramatically in Pakistan cricket, but the symmetry of the latest development coming out from the PCB is so neat it might have been considered too corny for fiction. In January 2017, after a 4-1 ODI series thumping in Australia, Azhar Ali was asked to relinquish leadership of the ODI side - which he did - handing the role to Sarfaraz Ahmed.

Almost three years on, a week before Pakistan are due to fly to Australia for three T20Is and two Tests, Sarfaraz was asked by the PCB to give up the captaincy on Thursday. He refused, forcing the PCB's hand. The Test replacement? Azhar, of course.

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A beaming Azhar called the appointment a "huge honour", terming Test cricket the sport's "best format", saying he relished the opportunity to "leave a legacy" in the sport. The 34-year old had captained Pakistan's ODI side in 31 games, and stepped in as leader of the Test team for one match when Misbah was unavailable. He said he would prioritise a culture that would encourage positive, exciting cricket and heaped praise on his predecessor.

"There could be no greater honour," Azhar said. "This is an opportunity for me to leave a legacy. The amount of cricket I have played for Pakistan, the next four-five years are very important for me both as a player and a captain.

"The Test Championship is coming up, and that's like a World Cup for Test cricket. Right now, we are No.7 in the rankings, so we have a fair distance to travel. The teams we'll play in the Test Championship will almost all be higher ranked than us. So there are many challenges, but it's also a great opportunity to play fearless, exciting cricket and get the desired results.

"Secondly, I'd like to thank Sarfaraz. The way he's led Pakistan, and the services he's provided Pakistan with, are excellent. I spoke to him after today's announcement and my full support lies with Sarfaraz."

With Sarfaraz's diminishing form - particularly in ODI and Test cricket - a subject of increasing media scrutiny, and speculation about his future rife in the wake of the 3-0 T20I series defeat at home to Sri Lanka, Azhar was considered the top contender to take over Test captaincy. The former ODI captain, however, said he had not formally been spoken to by the PCB until yesterday, but admitted media reports had helped him be mentally prepared for the role.

"I was only spoken to yesterday but the media had sort of prepared me over the last few days," he said. "I had spoken to senior cricketers and the elders in my household, and sought their advice. It wasn't a difficult decision, therefore, and I took this great opportunity.

"I aim to bring players through under my captaincy that can serve Pakistan cricket for many years to come. This is what I mean by leaving my legacy. I want to transfer my experiences to them, and help them learn how to play fearless, positive cricket. So winning is very important, but building a positive culture is my top priority. As you know, I have prioritised Test cricket, because it is the best format of the game, and the format that sees the players' best skills come out. My priority will be to have my players focus on red-ball cricket, because white ball cricket will take care of itself."

Azhar revealed the PCB had handed him the captaincy on a long-term basis as opposed to reviewing the role series-by-series, as had, at least officially, been the case recently with Sarfaraz. It was the condition upon which Azhar said he accepted the captaincy, and was excited by the opportunity it presented to foster a culture that prioritised intelligent decision-making.

"The way your team is built affects the way you captain, and that changes according to conditions. But we need to build a team culture where we take the right decisions under pressure and stay calm. We need to take positive options and empower players to take their own decisions. This is something that I've learned from my own cricket, and I'll try to do better. Sarfaraz has done a fabulous job, but life has to move on. We can't dictate everything to the players, so we should teach them to take better decisions.

"I specifically asked whether my appointment will be short term or not. I got full support from the board that my appointment is not a short-term thing, which is why I accepted it. There's no set timeframe they've given me, but I've been assured there's enough time for me to prove myself and implement my own ideas on the team.

"When there's a lot of pressure on you and the results aren't coming, as happened when I captained the last time, then sometimes change can be good. It doesn't mean that you've given up."

Azhar doesn't do giving up. He left Australia in 2017 as captain, and now, when the team returns to those shores next month, it is he who will lead them out in whites once again. If you didn't know any better, you might have assumed nothing much had happened in those intervening three years. Plenty has, however, and as Azhar looks to leave his defining legacy for Pakistan cricket, he finds his destiny in his own hands once again.

Sarfaraz Ahmed is gone as Pakistan captain and it has looked like he's been going for some time now. Even before Andile Phehlukwayo happened. Quite a bit before that. Some stray thoughts and observations in the aftermath of his sacking.

Sarfaraz's sacking wasn't unexpected and neither is it entirely unjustified

If there is any element of surprise in all this it is only because Pakistan cricket is coming off nearly a decade of unprecedented leadership stability. Otherwise, there remained this strange sense around Sarfaraz that he never really got hold of the Test side or the rhythms of a Test, not least when contrasted by his command of the T20 side and format. In itself this was surprising given that it was his Test performances that elevated him.

Sure post-MisYou would've been tough on any captain but losing two out of three series in the UAE immediately after their exits, having not lost one at all in seven years, was alarming. His own batting form was poor, averaging just 25 across 13 Tests as captain; before being appointed he was averaging 41 in Tests. Put that form together with eight losses, never the tidiest wicketkeeping, persistent concerns over his fitness, and well, Pakistan captains past have been sacked for a lot less.

His T20 sacking is unexpected and unjustified

Not least by himself. It's being said Sarfaraz was expecting to be removed from Tests and ODIs, but this has been the real kicker. For two reasons, that makes sense.

One, it's not Sarfaraz's fault that he has led Pakistan in the one global cycle where there's been a four-year gap between World T20s because a world title - rather than just a No.1 ranking - would've sealed the deal on the turnaround he has overseen. And make no mistake, it has been some turnaround. When he took over, after the 2016 World T20, Pakistan were so far behind the rest of the world, they may as well have been playing 60-over ODIs in whites and with a red ball. A couple of poor series results should not have led to this.

Two, the blame for the clean sweep loss to Sri Lanka can, in considerable part, be laid at the door of chief selector-chief coach (seen this hyphen before?) Misbah-ul-Haq. Whatever questions he asked of the team when he took over, the answers could - and should - never have been Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal. Both were needless selections and critically, selections Sarfaraz was not in favour of. He lost the series with a team that was imposed on him and he has now paid for it.

There's a third reason…

Babar Azam (c)

Babar Azam is the most gifted batsman Pakistan has produced in over a decade, maybe even two. This last year he has come into his own: a first Test hundred and runs at home, in South Africa (including an electric showdown with Dale Steyn), ODI runs anywhere he went, a killer season in the T20 Blast, the No.1 ranking in T20s. Now the captaincy: more like, why the captaincy? Why burden him just as he is blossoming so? When he is the one batsman Pakistan have who is unquestionably big league? When he is the one batsman who is vital to them across formats?

It could all, of course, turn out just fine. In fact, a number of Pakistani batsmen have thrived when taking on the mantle of captaincy. But right now, without the guiding hand of Mickey Arthur (an important figure in Babar's development) it feels like a risk, especially when Sarfaraz could've led the side to next year's World T20 and then, more naturally, given way.

Are we in 2015 again?

It's impossible to outrage against or celebrate Azhar Ali's appointment to replace Sarfaraz as Test captain. He's not a bad choice; he's a safe choice; there are few other serious candidates. This is all just as it was in 2015 when he took over from Misbah in white-ball cricket. He also grew up as a player under Misbah's captaincy so, for whatever it's worth, that relationship will be stable.

But he is now 34. He has well-documented knee issues. He has also been on a declining curve of productivity for over two years now - not coincidentally since MisYou went. He's averaging 28 in 13 Tests since then and in his last Test series (in South Africa) he averaged less than 10. And he now heads to Australia, where Pakistan have lost their last 12 Tests. It's not screaming out long-term is it?

What is Misbah doing?

With great power should come even greater scrutiny and so it is that just over a month into his dual role as coach and chief selector, Misbah is right under the scanner. It's not been a great look so far.

It isn't the selections of Akmal and Shehzad alone. It isn't the prickliness at press conferences alone. It isn't only the excuses he has been making at those press conferences. It isn't the reports - credible ones it turns out - of his unhappiness with the attitude of a number of players including Sarfaraz. It isn't his unusually inaccurate analysis that Pakistan's T20 success was all down to Babar (that sound you hear is the bowlers shouting, "Hell no.")

It isn't any one of these but all of them put together, which draw a picture of a man with a lot of power and with nearly as much insecurity, that too so early in his tenure. Maybe we just need to be patient, because if there's nothing else we learnt about Misbah during his playing days, it was that he takes time to come good.

New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson has avoided a severe injury to his right knee but is expected to miss a period of weeks to start the regular season, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday.

Williamson did not travel with the team to New York for Friday's preseason game against the Knicks and instead stayed back in New Orleans for further testing.

Coach Alvin Gentry said Friday that he believed Williamson suffered the knee injury during the Pelicans' preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.

The injury puts a damper on what had been an excellent preseason for the No. 1 overall pick. Williamson was averaging 23.3 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 71.4% in the Pelicans' first four preseason games and averaging 27.3 minutes.

Now New Orleans heads into the season with its star rookie on the sideline.

The Pelicans figure to be cautious regarding Williamson's return, but the team is confident he will make a full recovery. The 6-foot-7, 284-pound Williamson missed time in summer league after he banged his left knee in a collision with another player. After just eight minutes, the Pelicans shut Williamson down for the summer, although they said they were just being overly cautious.

Williamson suffered a mild right knee sprain during his only season at Duke. That injury occurred when his sneaker gave out just seconds into a game against North Carolina. He missed three weeks with the injury before returning in the ACC tournament.

He was the prohibitive favorite for the NBA's Rookie of the Year award, coming in at -250 odds at Caesars Sportsbook.

Without Williamson on the floor, the Pelicans will likely turn to another rookie -- albeit a much older one -- to fill his minutes. Nicolo Melli, a 28-year-old Italian player, came to New Orleans this summer after a professional career that started in 2007 overseas.

He has played as Williamson's backup this preseason and has averaged 8.8 points and 6.0 rebounds in 17.0 minutes per game. His rebounding average is second on the team to Williamson's through four preseason games.

The injury could also open up time for the Pelicans to play Kenrich Williams at power forward. Williams is third on the team with 4.8 rebounds per game in the preseason. It's also possible the Pelicans could play Brandon Ingram at the 4 spot in spurts.

New Orleans has Derrick Favors slated to start at center, with Jahlil Okafor and Jaxson Hayes backing him up.

Gentry said that JJ Redick will be starting on Friday in Madison Square Garden.

"He will not be the power forward," Gentry said with a laugh. "We will move some guys around. That's one of the things about having depth and players who play different positions. We can move guys around and put ourselves in a position where from a rotation standpoint we are still pretty solid."

At shootaround Friday morning, Jrue Holiday said that he had not spoken with Williamson and had only just found out about the injury when he got a twitter notification on his Apple Watch. Holiday's advice to Williamson: "Stay strong."

"Obviously, his body is strong," Holiday said. "Your body can bounce back. But mentally, I think that's where you just have to lock in and be patient."

Information from ESPN's Malika Andrews was used in this report.

The New York Yankees officially removed CC Sabathia from the roster for the American League Championship Series on Friday, replacing him with right-handed reliever Ben Heller.

Sabathia would not be eligible to return should the Yankees get to the World Series, so the 39-year-old left-hander has made his final appearance in pinstripes.

Sabathia's knee buckled and his shoulder seemed to give out as he tried to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning of the Houston Astros' 8-3 win in Game 4 of the ALCS Thursday night. He walked off the mound toward second, spoke with head athletic trainer Steve Donohue and tried a warmup toss, hoping somehow to push through, but he had to leave.

The Yankees said Sabathia suffered a subluxation -- or partial dislocation -- of his left shoulder joint.

Sabathia, who along with outfielder Brett Gardner is one of the two remaining members of the 2009 World Series championship team, limped off the field with tears in his eyes. He had announced that he was retiring after the season.

"It's tough man. He's a great person, a great player," outfielder Aaron Hicks said. "He's gonna be a Hall of Famer. To see a guy like that go out like that is not the way you want to see it. He means a lot to this team, a lot to his organization, and for him to go out like that, it's not something you want."

Left-handed reliever Zack Britton, who spent eight seasons with the Baltimore Orioles before being traded to New York last year, reiterated the reputation Sabathia carries throughout the league.

"I played against CC longer than I've played with him, so I know the respect that opposing teams have for him," Britton said. "He's done it in the game, but obviously off the field too. He's really respected throughout the game, and guys know the type of career he's had."

A six-time All-Star and the 2007 AL Cy Young Award winner with Cleveland, Sabathia finished with a 251-161 regular-season record with 3,093 strikeouts. He had made four trips to the injured list this year due to his balky right knee.

With their season on the line and Houston holding a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, the Yankees will have lefty James Paxton versus Astros ace Justin Verlander on the mound for a do-or-die Game 5. Paxton told ESPN that Sabathia would be his inspiration when he takes the mound Friday.

"Every time he's on the mound, he gives us everything he's got, and that's what he did tonight. CC has had an amazing career, and it was too bad to see him get hurt like that," Paxton said. "But it's also just a testament to just the heart he has for this team, going out there and giving us everything he's got until the last pitch."

Heller had a 1.23 ERA and nine strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings for the Yankees this season after returning from Tommy John surgery.

ESPN's Marly Rivera and The Associated Press contributed to this report.