Atlanta Hawks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Devin Booker, Trae Young Named Players Of The Week

November 29th, 2021 at 2:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Suns guard Devin Booker and Hawks guard Trae Young have been named the NBA’s Players of The Week for the Western Conference and Eastern Conference respectively, the league announced today (via Twitter).

Booker’s Suns went 4-0 during the week of November 22-28 to extend their winning streak to 16 games, while Young’s Hawks were 3-1.

Booker averaged 30.0 PPG and 3.5 APG on .530/.560/.900 shooting in victories over San Antonio, Cleveland, New York, and Brooklyn. Young put up 31.3 PPG and 8.5 APG with a .563/.517/.833 shooting line, scoring at least 30 points in all four of his games.

The other nominees for the awards this week were Stephen Curry, D’Angelo Russell, and Karl-Anthony Towns in the West, along with Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, Kevin Durant, and Terry Rozier in the East (Twitter link).

Hawks’ Bogdanovic Out At Least Two Weeks With Ankle Sprain

November 29th, 2021 at 8:24am CST by Luke Adams

After undergoing an MRI on Sunday, Hawks wing Bogdan Bogdanovic has been diagnosed with a sprained right ankle, the team announced (via Twitter). According to the announcement, Bogdanovic will undergo a period of rest and rehabilitation and will be reevaluated in about two weeks.

Bogdanovic, who sustained the injury during the second quarter of Atlanta’s loss to New York on Saturday, has started all 20 games he has played this season, averaging 11.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 2.5 APG on .447/.391/.786 shooting in 28.2 minutes per contest.

Meanwhile, Cam Reddish, who also had to exit Saturday’s game in the second quarter due to a left wrist sprain, hasn’t been given a recovery timeline. According to the Hawks (via Twitter), he’s considered day-to-day for now and his status will be determined by how the injury responds to daily treatment.

With Bogdanovic unavailable, Solomon Hill joined the starting five to begin the second half of Saturday’s loss. Reserves like Hill, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and Lou Williams could take on larger roles with Bogdanovic and Reddish sidelined. The Hawks also may lean more heavily on starting wing Kevin Huerter — his 38 minutes on Saturday represented his second-highest total this season.

Examining Close Connection Between Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela

November 27th, 2021 at 1:09pm CST by JD Shaw

Chris Kirschner of The Athletic examines the close connection between Hawks players Bogdan Bogdanovic and Clint Capela. Bogdanovic and Capela have been teammates for two seasons, but, as Kirschner details, their relationship extends past basketball.

Kirschner, Hollinger Discuss Trade Options For Hawks

November 25th, 2021 at 4:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Chris Kirschner and John Hollinger of The Athletic teamed up to discuss whether the Hawks make sense as a potential Ben Simmons suitor and how much urgency the team should feel to make a major consolidation trade. Kirschner doesn’t believe Atlanta needs to make a big in-season move, but thinks the team should seriously consider it during the 2022 offseason, a year before De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish are eligible for restricted free agency.

Onyeka Okongwu Plays 3-On-3; No Set Timeline For Return

November 24th, 2021 at 2:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Hawks big man Onyeka Okongwu played some 3-on-3 this week and “came out OK,” head coach Nate McMillan said on Tuesday (Twitter link via Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution). McMillan added that the Hawks will continue to be cautious with Okongwu and that there’s no set timeline for his return from shoulder surgery. Atlanta initially estimated a recovery period of about six months when Okongwu went under the knife in July.

Reddish Showing Progress

November 23rd, 2021 at 7:31pm CST by Rory Maher

Hawks wing Cam Reddish is showing progress in his third season, according to Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Star Trae Young says good things happen when Reddish is in attack-mode on offense. “He’s just stepping right in and playing his role, going hard on defense, and then on the offensive end we want him to attack, be aggressive and for me personally I love when he’s going to the basket and he’s making plays and he’s talking mess, just being himself, you know what I’m saying?” Young said. “I think that’s when you get the best version of Cam, when he’s playing like that.” Reddish will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer.

Okongwu Hopes To Return Next Month

November 18th, 2021 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hawks second-year forward Onyeka Okongwu has ramped up his activity as he seeks to return from shoulder surgery, he told Sarah Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The 2020 lottery pick is hopeful he can get back in action sometime next month. “I feel stronger. Legs feel stronger, I’m getting my upper-body muscles back, and everything’s going well right now,” he said. “You could say that I’m definitely on track; my goal is still to come back in December, but I’m not going to rush or anything.”

Are Hunter's Injuries Making Him More Expendable For Hawks?

November 17th, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest mailbag, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic explores a handful of Hawks-related topics, suggesting that De’Andre Hunter‘s ever-growing history of injuries makes him an increasingly likely candidate to be moved if Atlanta makes a consolidation trade for an impact wing or forward.

ESPN Writers Not Too Concerned About Hawks' Slow Start

November 17th, 2021 at 11:46am CST by Luke Adams

A handful of ESPN writers took a closer look at some underperforming teams to assess how concerned those clubs should be about their slow starts. The Hawks, Bucks, and Celtics are among the teams that shouldn’t be too worried quite yet, but the panic meter is already high for the Pelicans.

Southeast Notes: Hunter, Harrell, Bertans, Beal, Washington

November 16th, 2021 at 12:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hawks coach Nate McMillan says De’Andre Hunter is “down” about having to miss significant time for the second straight season, but McMillan is optimistic that the third-year forward will return in plenty of time to help the team, writes Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Hunter had surgery on his right wrist Monday after suffering an injured tendon and is projected to miss a minimum of eight weeks. He was limited to 23 games last season because of knee issues.

“Injuries, it’s going to happen to someone on the team, and you have to adapt, you have to make that adjustment, guys have to keep themselves ready to play because you just never know when it’s going to happen,” McMillan said. “It’s something that unfortunately we did have to deal with last season a lot with our guys and guys stepped up, they were ready to play and we were able to have some success with that. Right now, we’re in that same situation, where we lose Dre but we have guys who can step in and play, and it’s an opportunity for them.”

Spencer notes that Hunter hadn’t returned to the level where he was early last season, but he was still playing an important role. He started all 11 games that he appeared in, ranks fifth on the team in scoring at 10.8 PPG and is one of the Hawks’ best defenders.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Wizards fans fell in love with new center Montrezl Harrell right away and started chanting “MVP” in his first home game whenever he went to the foul line, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Harrell, who was acquired from the Lakers in an offseason trade, appreciates the sentiment, but offered a light-hearted request to fans after Monday’s game. “Yeah, I hate it. I hate it. I ain’t gonna lie to you, I hate it,” he said. “Don’t chant it until the second free throw, I’m not gonna lie to you. Just get me to the second free throw, man. Let me get the edge off with getting that first free throw down because it definitely plays with my head.”
Wizards forward Davis Bertans, who hasn’t played since spraining his left ankle November 1, is making progress and could return next week, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Bradley Beal, who is away from the team following the death of his grandmother, may return Wednesday, according to Ava Wallace of The Washington Post (Twitter link).
Hornets forward P.J. Washington, who has been sidelined since November 3 with a hyperextended left elbow, returned to practice today, the team announced (via Twitter).