Atlanta Hawks: 3 things to watch for during Summer League
Atlanta Hawks Summer League storyline No. 3: Health will play a big part in the team’s success
The Hawks lost the third-most games due to injury last season. This was during a season in which studies showed an increase in injuries, especially among the game’s stars. There was only one issue when applying the logic of a quick turnaround to the Hawks. They didn’t make the postseason or even get invited to the bubble last season.
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Atlanta went stretches without Trae Young, John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, and Cam Reddish; the latter two for the majority of the regular season.
This is where the idea that Reddish’s absence from Summer League is out of precaution as opposed to injury comes in.
We also can’t forget about Bogdan Bogdanovic’s avulsion fracture that had him seeking second opinions or Onyeka Okongwu who will be out until January recovering from shoulder surgery.
They’ll have to deal with players working out on their own as well. We’ve seen videos of Young and others in the gym in preparation for the season.
Part of the reason Johnson left Duke was to rehab a foot injury. The Hawks will have to be extra diligent managing the 6-foot-9 forward.
Luckily, they have been proactive in this regard and made some tweaks to the training staff.
Much of dealing with injuries is just happenstance, completely out of the coaches’ or training staff’s control. Everyone outside of Okongwu is expected to be healthy for the start of the season.
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The only difference is they’ll be one of the teams coming off of an extended season. It was the longest season for many of the Hawks players. Hopefully, their youth offsets the added wear and tear.