The Atlanta Hawks have finally got some better news on the injury front. They released their injury report for the game against the Indiana Pacers and it still was difficult reading for any fan. Tony Snell, Danilo Gallinari, De’Andre Hunter, Kris Dunn, and Cam Reddish are still all listed as out.
However, there is a little bit of light at the end of the injury tunnel with the word next to John Collins‘ name going from out to questionable. While this is not a guarantee of Collins taking the court, it means that he is close to playing.
If he does come back against the Pacers then it is likely that Collins will be on minutes restrictions. Interim coach Nate McMillan will welcome Collins back for however many minutes he will be allowed to play, As Gallinari is still out, the Hawks are desperate for some more quality minutes from another big man.
How the Atlanta Hawks rotations are impacted by John Collins returning
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The first move that will most probably happen is that Collins will replace Solomon Hill in the starting lineup. Hill has done a good job but when there is a player as good as Collins, if he is healthy, he starts.
This will, in turn, help the bench unit. With Gallinari out, Hill will be able to step into the floor spacing role that Gallinari is able to provide. If Hill can keep his 6-of-8 shooting going from last game then this will benefit the Hawks greatly.
There has been a change in the way the team plays with Collins out. Bogdan Bogdanovic has increased his output to help cover the loss of Collins scoring meaning that Collins may have to adjust to a slightly different role.
He will still be Trae Young’s favorite target for the alley-oop but may find himself taking fewer shots in his return. The team’s rookie big man, Onyeka Okongwu has also experienced sharp growth with Collins out, thanks to the connection he has formed with Lou Williams.
This is a tremendous problem for interim coach McMillan to have and one he will be able to work through to figure out what is best for the team. Hopefully, a few more names will be able to come off the injury list and they can work on the rotations they are going to use heading into the playoffs.