Pelicans' Zion Williamson Ruled out For NBA Play-in Tournament with Hamstring Injury

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson won't participate in the NBA play-in tournament and is doubtful for the start of the postseason, should his team advance that far, as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.

"If you just look at the logistics of where we are, it's not possible to get the work in that would put him in a five-on-five workout in time [to play in] any play-in [tournament game]," Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin told reporters on Friday.

The 22-year-old has not played since Jan. 2 when he injured his hamstring. He later re-aggravated the injury near the All-Star break while working toward his return.

On March 22, the Pelicans announced he was cleared to resume basketball activities and would be reevaluated in two weeks. Head coach Willie Green didn't rule out the possibility of him returning during the regular season, but an update on Thursday didn't provide any optimism.

Williamson has appeared in 29 games this season and showcased his dominance with averages of 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 60.8 percent from the field. He earned his second career All-Star selection, though he was unable to play in the game.

The Pelicans have managed to stay alive in the hunt for the postseason without the Duke product. At 41-39, they rank tied for seventh in the Western Conference, putting them in line to compete in the play-in tournament.

The Pels can still clinch a top-six spot to confirm a playoff seed, but they are currently sitting behind a pair of fifth-place teams in the 42-38 Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers with two games left.

While its star forward has been out, New Orleans has relied on veteran combo guard CJ McCollum and swingman Brandon Ingram to lead the offense. They have helped stabilize the ship for the team despite a tough stretch in the middle of the year.