Atlanta Hawks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Oladipo, Bam, Collins, Bridges

March 20th, 2022 at 1:31pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Heat guard Victor Oladipo, who continues to work his way back from quadriceps tendon surgery, has played in just four games since returning to the hardwood for Miami on March 7, averaging 5.5 points on .450/.222/.667 shooting across 16.3 MPG. Oladipo has also struggled with lower back spasms in recent days.

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes that the Heat were never anticipating that Oladipo could be a starter this season playing major minutes. Winderman notes that the 6’4″ guard, a former two-time All-Star with the Pacers before being beset by injuries, could still be a valuable contributor for the East’s top-seeded club in spot minutes during the playoffs. The play of fellow reserve guards Max Strus and Gabe Vincent has made any help Oladipo provides a bit of a bonus.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Heat center Bam Adebayo believes he deserves to be named Defensive Player of the Year this season, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Adebayo has been the anchor for one of the league’s staunchest defenses this year. As of this writing, the Heat rank fifth in defensive rating and fourth in points allowed per game. The 6’9″ big man has been no slouch when it comes to counting stats, either, averaging 19.0 PPG, 10.3 RPG and 3.5 APG this season for Miami. Though Adebayo has missed 25 games this season due to injury, missing some contests does not necessarily preclude a player from DPOY consideration. In the 2017/18 season, Jazz center Rudy Gobert won his first Defensive Player of the Year award after playing only 56 of 82 games for Utah.
Hawks head coach Nate McMillan sounds fairly skeptical that starting power forward John Collins will be available to return to the floor for Atlanta within the 10-to-14-day timeline initially provided by the team, per Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter). “That’s when they will talk about his injury again,” McMillan said. “I don’t think we’re saying in two weeks he’ll be back. We will re-evaluate him in two weeks.”
Hornets power forward Miles Bridges, who should at least be a finalist for the 2022 Most Improved Player award thanks to his excellent play this year, is focused on reaching the playoffs with Charlotte following several past disappointments, per Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “I’ve been here before and all three years when we could’ve made the playoffs we didn’t finish like we wanted to,” Bridges said. “So I just want this year to be different.” Bridges is averaging 20.0 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 3.8 APG for the 36-35 Hornets, current occupants of the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte – currently 5.5 games ahead of the No. 11 Wizards with just 11 games left in its season – seems like a safe bet to at least qualify for the 2022 play-in tournament. Last year, the Hornets finished as the tenth seed with a 33-39 record, but lost to the Pacers in their first play-in game.

John Collins Expected To Be Out At Least 10-14 Days

March 18th, 2022 at 3:22pm CST by Dana Gauruder

MARCH 18: Collins has been officially diagnosed with a right foot sprain and plantar fascia tear, as well as a right ring finger sprain, according to a press release from the Hawks.

He has received an anti-inflammatory shot in his finger and been fitted with custom splints, which he’ll wear for the rest of the season. Additionally, during the next few days, he’ll undergo a non-surgical procedure on his foot, according to the team.

Collins’ status will be updated in the next 10-to-14 days, per the Hawks. Presumably, that means he’ll be out for at least that long.

MARCH 17: Hawks forward John Collins has a plantar fascia tear in his right foot and will be out indefinitely, Shams Charania and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic report (Twitter link).

Collins had been trying to play with a mangled right ring finger as well as foot pain. He sought out a second opinion for both injuries. Collins has missed three straight games and 10 of the last 14 for Atlanta.

Collins signed a five-year, $125MM deal last August to remain with the Hawks. In 54 games, Collins has averaged 16.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 1.8 APG. Without him, the Hawks will continue to rely more on De’Andre Hunter and Danilo Gallinari.

Atlanta is 34-35 and holds the 10th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Jalen Johnson Unlikely To See Much Action Down Stretch

March 18th, 2022 at 12:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Nate McMillan‘s inclination to trust his veterans over rookies has meant there has been no NBA role this season for first-rounder Jalen Johnson, who has spent much of his rookie year in the G League. According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, the Hawks are still very intrigued by the potential of Johnson, who was recalled today from the NBAGL with John Collins out, but it remains unlikely that he’ll see regular minutes this season.

John Collins Getting Second Opinion On Foot, Finger Injuries

March 17th, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Hawks coach Nate McMillan said power forward John Collins is seeking a second opinion on his foot and finger injuries, according to Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). McMillan added that it’s still up in the air as to whether Collins will miss extended time with the injuries.

“We really don’t know. He’s going to get checked out and get more information for himself as well as for the organization and we’ll see what happens when we get that information,” McMillan said, per Spencer (via Twitter).

Through 54 appearances this season, Collins is averaging 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game on .526/.364/.793 shooting. However, he struggled mightily after returning following a seven-game absence due to the right foot strain, averaging just 9.3 points and 6.3 rebounds on .359/.125/.778 shooting in four games (24.7 minutes).

Collins has missed three straight games and 10 of the last 14 for Atlanta. The right finger injury is a more recent development, incurred during the brief four-game return.

Collins played an important role in helping Atlanta reach last year’s Eastern Conference finals, but the team has been very inconsistent this season. The Hawks are currently 34-35, 10th in the East. They trail the Hornets by a half-game for the ninth seed.

Collins "Getting Better" But Still No Timeline For Return

March 16th, 2022 at 11:45am CST by Dana Gauruder

Hawks head coach Nate McMillan didn’t have much of an update on Wednesday when asked about John Collins‘ status, tweets Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. According to McMillan, Collins – who has missed the last two games with a finger injury – is “getting better,” but there’s still no timeline for his return.

Southeast Notes: Collins, Oladipo, Mosley

March 14th, 2022 at 8:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

John Collins‘ right ring finger injury won’t improve much if he continues to play this season, an orthopedic specialist told The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner.

The specialist, Deepak Chona, said the proper treatment requires the finger to be immobilized in a splint for the tissue to heal. The best-case scenario if Collins continues playing would be partial healing in two or three weeks and moderate improvement in his shooting as the Hawks forward becoming used to his shooting hand being compromised.

Collins is averaging 9.3 PPG on 35.9% shooting in four March games. Collins, who is unsure whether he should continue playing, will sit out against Portland on Monday.

“I want to rest. I want to feel right,” he said. “But I know in an 82-game season, it’s not always going to be the case to feel 100 percent.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Victor Oladipo didn’t play in the second game of a back-to-back on Saturday and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said they don’t want to push him too much physically, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes. “This is just a matter of I’m not going to try to fast track this,” Spoelstra said “This is going to be about us tempering the expectations.” Miami plays Detroit on Tuesday.
Oladipo is averaging 6.7 PPG and 3.0 APG in 16.7 MPG since returning from his quad injury. The former All-Star admitted to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon that it’s been a humbling experience. “It did affect me, going through all of those things,” said Oladipo, who will be a free agent again this summer. “Feeling like people kind of wrote me off, and feeling like people are kind of being weird, moving weird around me as a person. It was just weird, and I didn’t help myself either. I had to change the people I was around, who I was letting represent me. I had to change who I was letting manage my life. I had to change a whole bunch of stuff.”
Jamahl Mosley has put his stamp on the Magic in his first year as head coach and the Orlando Sentinel’s Khobi Price takes a closer look at Mosley’s early impact on the franchise.

Southeast Notes: Collins, Wright, Bamba, Thomas

March 13th, 2022 at 3:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Hawks power forward John Collins has continued to play for Atlanta even as he deals with lingering foot pain and now sports a protective wrap around his finger, per Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Collins recently returned to Atlanta’s active roster following a seven-game absence as he dealt with his strained right foot.

“I’m not going to tell you everything,” Hawks head coach Nate McMillan said regarding the health of Collins. “I just respect him for his effort and he does have some things that are going on that he’s trying to play through.”

Through 54 games for the 32-34 Hawks, the 6’9″ big man is averaging 16.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 1.8 APG and boasts shooting splits of .526/.364/.793. Atlanta is currently the tenth seed in the Eastern Conference, mere percentage points behind the ninth-seeded Hornets, who sport a 32-34 record. An extended absence for the Hawks’ second-leading scorer in Collins could spell trouble for the Hawks’ play-in chances.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Hawks reserve combo guard Delon Wright, an unrestricted free agent this summer, is currently out of Atlanta’s rotation. Hawks head coach Nate McMillan explained his thinking behind Wright’s exclusion from the present lineup, per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic (Twitter link). “He’s been playing well,” McMillan said. “It’s nothing he’s done. He’s been playing well. It’s really difficult to play a 10-man rotation because everyone gets squeezed. What I did was went to Lou [Williams] at that backup [point guard spot] — the rotation we had last year.” The 6’5″ veteran is in his seventh NBA season.
Hornets backup point guard Isaiah Thomas discussed his fight for an NBA future with Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Currently on his third NBA club this season, following prior 10-day contracts with the Lakers and Mavericks, Thomas is excited for his opportunity with Charlotte, with whom he recently signed a second 10-day deal. “It’s just a blessing for me to be able to be where I’m at today with how bad my hip was, because I never thought I would be in this space again where I have no pain and I can play free and I can just live free,” Thomas said. “Not just play, like, I don’t have no pain on a daily basis.” Thomas has had multiple surgeries on his troublesome hip, but says he has been pain-free since a 2020 operation. The 5’9″ veteran is averaging 9.7 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.7 APG and 1.0 SPG in just 13.7 MPG over the course of his three games with Charlotte. “I don’t ice my hip, I don’t do any pre-workout for it. I don’t do anything,” he said. “It’s the same as before I got hurt. I know I can do those things again, but I’m not chasing those moments.”
Magic center Mohamed Bamba has an interesting summer ahead of him. Orlando will have to tender the former No. 6 pick in the 2018 NBA draft a $10.1MM one-year qualifying offer this summer for him to reach restricted free agency — otherwise he will become an unrestricted free agent. Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link) expects the qualifying offer to be a foregone conclusion. Given Bamba’s uneven play during his first NBA seasons, it seemed possible that he could reach unrestricted free agency, hoping to catch on with a club in a reserve role at a rate below the qualifying offer. However, Bamba is enjoying by far the best statistical season of his NBA career thus far, averaging 10.5 PPG, 8.0 RPG and 1.7 BPG across 57 games for Orlando, including 55 starts.

Checking In On NBA’s Open Roster Spots

March 10th, 2022 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Several of the NBA teams that had open roster spots following the trade deadline have since filled them, either with free agent signings, such as DeMarcus Cousins (Nuggets) and DeAndre Jordan (Sixers), or with promoted two-way players, like Caleb Martin (Heat) and Daishen Nix (Rockets).

However, there are still a number of clubs around the league with openings available, either on their standard 15-man roster or among their two-way contract slots.

Here, with the help of our roster counts page, is a look at the teams that have open roster spots as of March 10:

Teams with open 15-man roster spots:

Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics (2) *
Charlotte Hornets *
Cleveland Cavaliers *
Detroit Pistons
Indiana Pacers
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans *
Orlando Magic
Toronto Raptors *
Utah Jazz

* The teams marked with an asterisk each technically have full rosters as of today, but are carrying at least one player on a 10-day contract. We’re considering those roster spots “open” because those 10-day deals will soon expire.

Despite a series of signings since last month’s trade deadline, there are still 12 NBA teams that aren’t carrying 15 players on full-season standard contracts. However, four of those clubs have filled their open roster spot(s) with 10-day signings, and a fifth will join that group when the Cavaliers complete their reported 10-day deal with Moses Brown.

The Celtics are one team to watch here. When the second 10-day contracts for Malik Fitts and Kelan Martin expire next Monday night, Boston will either have to sign at least one of them to a rest-of-season contract or add another player within the next two weeks in order to get back to the league-mandated minimum of 14 players on standard deals.

Teams with open two-way spots:

Houston Rockets
Phoenix Suns
Sacramento Kings

Following the trade deadline, five teams had open two-way contract slots. Four of those teams have since filled them — the Suns are the only holdout, having not carried a second two-way player since they released Chandler Hutchison in early January.

The Rockets have had an open two-way slot since they promoted Nix to the 15-man roster nearly a month ago, while the Kings‘ opening has existed since they waived Louis King on February 17.

Jeff Teague Rejoins Hawks In Scouting Role

March 9th, 2022 at 11:46am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA guard Jeff Teague, who appeared in 543 games with the Hawks as a player, has rejoined the franchise is a new role, according to KL Chouinard of Hawks.com, who says Teague is now a scout for the team.

“I’ve been all around the world watching basketball,” Teague said. “so I’ve got a pretty good eye for who I think can play at a certain level.”

Teague, 33, signed with the Bucks late in the 2020/21 season and was on the roster for the club’s championship run, appearing in 21 regular season games and another 16 playoff contests. However, he became a free agent in the offseason and hasn’t signed a new contract since then. As Teague explains, he was dealing with an injury at the end of last season that may have required surgery and decided he didn’t want to go under the knife to try to play in ’21/22.

Although Teague tells Chouinard that he hasn’t officially retired as a player, his new role with the Hawks suggests he’s preparing to move onto the next phase of his career. The point guard says he first broached the idea of joining the Hawks’ basketball operations department during his second stint in Atlanta during the 2019/20 season.

“When I was there for my second tenure with the Hawks, I told (head of basketball operations) Travis (Schlenk) that I wanted to look into working in the front office,” Teague said. “(I asked if) once I got done playing if he would be open to trying to help me out. And he told me when I first got there that first day that when I was done playing, if he was still there that he would look out for me. So I just reached out and he kept his word.”

Teague’s role with the Hawks involves scouting NCAA prospects in advance of the draft, according to Chouinard. That allows him to stay relatively close to home while working his new job.

“I go everywhere. I go to Kentucky. I go to Louisville. All over the Midwest really,” Teague said. “Being based out of Indianapolis, there are a lot of colleges in the surrounding areas in a two-hour window that you can get to to see a lot of college games from different conferences. It’s a good location for scouting.”

If Teague doesn’t return to the NBA, he’ll finish with 826 total regular season appearances and another 87 postseason games on his résumé. He averaged 12.2 points and 5.6 assists per game with a .444/.360/.844 shooting line across 12 seasons for the Hawks, Pacers, Timberwolves, Celtics, and Bucks, earning an All-Star berth with Atlanta in 2015.

Young Confident Team Can Make Deep Run

March 7th, 2022 at 9:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hawks forward John Collins returned to action over the weekend after missing seven games due to a right foot strain. That doesn’t mean the injury has completed healed, according to Sarah Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I definitely feel like it’s going to be a process to get back to 100% as it is with anything, but I’m just trying to do my best to maintain and damage control, if you will, to just make sure I’m healthy and ready to go enough to do well for my team,” Collins said.
Though the Hawks are struggling to reach the .500 mark, Trae Young believes they can make another deep and surprising run in the postseason, as he told Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. “I feel like we can beat anybody if you put us in a seven-game series and give us a chance to look at you,” Young said. “We have talent and smart-enough guys to make some noise. I feel confident.”