Atlanta Hawks: The impact of De’Andre Hunter being out for the season
The Atlanta Hawks received the worst news on De’Andre Hunter prior to Game 3. He had some minor swelling in his knee per the Hawks update and underwent an MRI. This revealed another small tear in his lateral meniscus.
This means that Hunter is undergoing surgery and is now out for the entire postseason. In a recent article, I wrote that he was one player who could still heat up in the postseason, assuming he could return. That hope has now been dashed with this news
The Hawks would like to get Cam Reddish back which would ease some of this blow, but it is still unknown when he is likely to return. The positive for the Hawks is that they have been covering the loss of these two players all season so they are used to it.
The Atlanta Hawks need to continue to have the next man up mentality
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All season long the Hawks have had the next man up mentality. They have had to, otherwise, their season would have been totally wasted and they most probably would have said farewell to John Collins, or had to overpay him in order to keep him.
This will mean that the Hawks are going to most probably keep Solomon Hill in the starting lineup. He has been doing it all for the franchise this season and will have to keep producing his workman-like 3-and-D performances that have been his trademark for the season.
However, the pressure is not all on Hill. Kevin Huerter has moved in and out of the starting lineup all season and has the ability to replicate Hunter’s production on the offensive end. He is not quite at Hunter’s level on defense, but he is close.
Tony Snell is another player who needs to step up in the absence of Hunter, he will be crucial for giving Hill and Huerter rest as required. Of the others who need to step up, Bogdan Bogdanovic needs to score a little more but also step up even further on defense.
Next. The case for Nate McMillan to become the next head coach is getting stronger. dark
No one is going to be able to replicate the production of Hunter. He was the fifth pick in the 2019 draft and has the talent to back it up. The Hawks have a really good chance to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, the whole team needs to step up and shoulder the load.