Atlanta Hawks F John Collins got PRP injection in foot to help aide bloodflow

The Atlanta Hawks (36-36) have been without John Collins for six straight games now and 13 of the last 17. They have gone 7-6 without him and are 10-8 without him this season. He has been out since facing the Los Angeles Clippers on Mar 11 with a torn plantar fascia but also dealt with a sprain that cost him seven games.

Their 117-111 win over the New York Knicks did more for their confidence than it did for their position in the standings. Though, it did guarantee the Knicks a losing season while getting back one half-game in the race with the Charlotte Hornets for ninth.

But they had to appreciate the performance of Trae Young (45 points, eight assists) as well as that of Bogdan Bogdanovic (32 points, 13 points in the fourth quarter).

Still, the word on Collins adds further context to an already semi-established timeline.

We got an update on John Collins’ injured foot during the Atlanta Hawks big road win

It was reported by TNT’s Jared Greenberg during the second quarter with the Hawks trailing by four points but in the midst of a 9-0 run. But Collins reportedly underwent a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection on Monday for this current injury. We learned he would be sidelined “indefinitely” (subscription required) from Shams Charania and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic last week.

The “indefinite” designation and “non-surgical procedure” made things hard to gauge. Prior to the injury, Collins had discussed whether or not he would be helping or hurting the team if he were to continue playing through his injuries.

He had several rough outings before being shut down.

Reports were that he would receive an anti-inflammatory shot and wear a splint for the finger injury and undergo a “non-surgical” procedure for the foot. We now know what that procedure was. And if PRP treatments sound familiar to Hawks fans, that’s because they have had plenty of experience with them this season.

Multiple Hawks players came into the season having undergone similar procedures, namely, Bogdan Bogdanovic (knee) and Clint Capela (Achilles).

Both players began the season well enough. Bogdanovic averaged 12.3 points on 44.5 percent shooting overall (39.6% 3P) for the first 18 games before dealing with an ankle sprain, and later COVID, before having issues with that knee and missing five games.

It’s been since returning from that that he has been on a tear.

Capela hasn’t had any complications from his Achilles directly. But he did miss six games while recovering from a sprained left ankle. He was averaging 11.8 points and 13.1 boards to that point.

So it has not been the initial procedure that has posed an issue. But, especially as was the case with Bogdanovic, there is always a potential risk of the injury costing time later on down the road. With the postseason right around the corner, they will need a healthy Collins or, as we saw when he tried to play through it, no Collins at all.

Still, per Greenberg, expect another update to come sometime early next week as they remain “incredibly hopeful” that he will be able to return by the end of the regular season.