They say the best ability is availability, and Darryn Peterson has struggled mightily in this department.
On paper, Peterson is the perfect prospect for this Atlanta Hawks team. He’s one of the best collegiate shotmakers in recent memory, boasting a 62.4% true shooting percentage (55.2% from two, 41.9% from three) on 33.6% usage rate – an elite combination of volume and efficiency. Plugging Peterson into the role CJ McCollum currently fills would be a dream come true alongside Jalen Johnson. Even his one weakness, playmaking, could be mitigated next to Johnson’s incredible passing.
There is just one problem: Peterson has missed 11 of Kansas’s 24 games this season, and he’s drawn heavy criticism for benching himself at various points in the season due to his injury struggles. After the Kristaps Porzingis fiasco that led to a once-hopeful Atlanta team crashing back to the Play-In tournament, many Hawks fans are wary of adding another injury-prone star to their team.
Is Peterson’s health a problem?
It’s hard to parse what exactly is going on with Peterson’s injury status.
He may have been healthier than the stats show, as he is perhaps the first collegiate player to employ a load management strategy. Despite the heavy criticism for his preventative measures, this is the smart move for his short and long-term durability.
Still, his laundry list of injuries – from a lingering hamstring problem to cramping to illness to a minor ankle tweak – is enough to raise an eyebrow. Kansas coach Bill Self is adamant that Peterson is not limiting himself any more than the training staff would, although outside observers question how truthful this response is. Whether his absences are serious or precautionary, they are not a green flag for teams looking to draft the KU superstar.
Jalen Johnson has suffered his fair share of injuries, and while I personally believe he isn’t an “injury-prone” player as many would suggest, it is certainly something in the back of Hawks fans’ minds.
Peterson and Johnson would be quite the dynamic duo, but they could also be a duo that lives in the training room.
I personally believe Peterson’s injury concerns have been overblown, but I, like almost all basketball fans, am not a medical professional. Furthermore, any medical professional outside of the Kansas organization who attempts to speculate is working with incomplete information – the Jayhawks have released as little information as possible regarding his injuries.
Atlanta’s medical staff will evaluate Peterson, which will be a critical day for the franchise. If they deem his health issues are indeed overblown, Peterson could be perfect. If they decide he is an injury risk, however, Onsi Saleh and the front office have a tricky situation to evaluate.