The Atlanta Hawks have another back to back this week, taking on the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors are the only team who have beaten the Hawks in the last nine games and that was the second night of a back to back without the services of Trae Young who was injured the night before.
Well, the Hawks are taking on the Raptors in a similar scenario but it is John Collins who is under the injury cloud this time. He left the win against the Phoenix Suns with a shoulder injury which appeared come from an inocuous looking play.
Collins got a putback with less than two minutes left on the clock in the fourth period. He then ran down the court wincing, holding his shoulder to get back on defense. As the defensive possession unfolded, Collins doubled over in pain and on the next stoppage of play was taken out of the game and went back to the locker room to get his shoulder attended to.
Should the Atlanta Hawks risk John Collins in the second night of a back to back?
The Hawks have started to climb their way out of the hole that their injury issues and Covid-19 crisis put them in. They have an 8-1 record in their last nine games which has got them back into the play-in seeding. However, they are only four games behind the Brooklyn Nets who are in the sixth seed and they are trending badly. They are currently on a six-game losing streak.
The Raptors, who the Hawks face in the next game, are on a four-game winning streak. The Hawks are two and a half games behind the Candian franchise with the ability to catch up considerably in the standings. So, should the Hawks risk Collins in an important matchup?
Well, of course, this depends on how serious the injury is. Collins first felt the pain against the Raptors in the back to back last time around. He believes that he will be playing because Collins plays on heart and it is going to take alot to keep the big man off the floor if he feels he can play.
If the injury is just a niggle, which that did not look to be the case, then Collins should play. However, if there is a possiblity that the injury could get worse through playing, then they should take the time to get him right as there is still plenty of games left in the season.