The Atlanta Hawks entered this season with a lot of hope after a busy offseason that saw them add some veteran talent to their young core. So far to start the season, it’s been a bit of a struggle as they’ve gotten off to an 11-12 start, as they’ve seen a number of their players battling various injuries over the first 20-plus games of the season.
Among the bright spots have been the continued growth and development of guys like fourth-year forward John Collins and second-year forward De’Andre Hunter, who was off to a terrific start to his sophomore campaign before missing the last four games with knee discomfort. On Sunday, the team announced Hunter will require surgery on his right meniscus, with a recovery plan to be determined two weeks after surgery, indicating it could take a rather significant chunk of time before he’s able to return.
Forward De’Andre Hunter, who has missed the last four games due to right knee discomfort caused by wear and tear, will undergo a lateral meniscus arthroscopic debridement procedure on Monday at the Emory Orthopaedics & Spine Center in Atlanta. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Kyle Hammond, the Hawks’ team orthopaedist. An update on Hunter’s recovery plan will be provided approximately two weeks following the surgery.
Hunter is averaging 17.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game this season, increasing his efficiency tremendously from his rookie year with a 58.6 effective field goal percentage. The fourth-overall pick from 2019 has shown the defensive ability the Hawks drafted him for out of Virginia, and his offensive leap forward made him look the part of a key piece of their core moving forward. He’ll have to wait some time now to be able to build on that strong start, and for the Hawks their already thin wing rotation with Bogdan Bogdanovic injured will continue to be an issue, with Cam Reddish, Tony Snell, and Solomon Hill all picking up more minutes.
