The Atlanta Hawks (31-32), and specifically Kevin Huerter, have to be grateful for the two days of rest they have before taking on the Detroit Pistons on Monday. Not because of Detroit, though they have won two games in a row including beating the current seven-seed in the Toronto Raptors on Thursday.
Instead, the Hawks can use this time to get healthier. John Collins returned from a seven-game absence due to a strained foot.
Trae Young wasn’t listed on the injury report and was coming off of a 39-point, 13-assist performance the night before. But he suffered an ankle injury a few games ago so more time removed from that is good.
That would have left just Onyeka Okongwu (concussion) among the injured.
A shoulder injury kept Kevin Huerter from finishing the Atlanta Hawks win
The injury came with just over four minutes to go and the Hawks up 10 thanks to a Bogdan Bogdanovic jumper off of a Huerter assist. It did not look like much. But as Huerter whipped the pass across the court to Bogdanovic, he immediately grabbed at his arm/shoulder area. Trae Young committed a take foul to get his 2017 draftmate out of the game.
After the win, Nate McMillan said it was a shoulder injury and that they would “look at him” over the next two days adding, “hopefully it’s nothing serious”.
Nate McMillan, on Kevin Huerter's late-game injury pic.twitter.com/uj5ot7wcqJ
— Bally Sports: Hawks (@HawksOnBally) March 5, 2022
Huerter had just five points on 28.6 percent shooting. He hit 1-of-2 threes but it was his fourth time with single-digit points and third shooting below 40.0 percent in the last eight games.
This was the first time they won one of those outings.
It’s possible having another scorer like Danilo Gallinari in the starting lineup instead of John Collins threw off Huerter’s rhythm. He averaged 14.8 points on 45.9 percent shooting and hit 18-of-43 triples in the six games before Collins went down.
Whatever the reason, the Hawks need him healthy for this stretch run and, really, into the postseason. He is shooting a career-best 45.8 percent from the floor and a 55.4 effective field goal percentage after getting a nice contract extension this past summer that will pay him an average of $16.25 million per year over the next four seasons.
The Hawks went 3-4 in seven games that he missed due to injury and COVID including three straight from Dec 25-29.
We also know what he can do when he gets it going offensively. Any time lost is significant for reasons as simple as keeping players in their proper roles. Huerter would be no different.