The Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors will conclude their regular season series today, and the home team received much-needed good news heading into the contest.
Atlanta has upgraded center Clint Capela and power forward Larry Nance Jr. to “probable” ahead of the game. That puts Capela on track to return from his one-game absence, his first in 2024-25, due to knee soreness.
Capela was moved to the bench three games ago. The Hawks are 0-3 since.
Most notably, he and his replacement, former backup Onyeka Okongwu, have seemingly swapped stat lines.
Nance has missed the last 12 games following surgery to address a hand injury. He had an inconsistent role before then. But Nance had openly set the stage to push for more before getting injured.
It is not for nothing the Hawks are 6-9 when Nance has played and 16-13 when he has not.
Capela and Nance’s potential returns are key for the Hawks on the court and as the trade deadline approaches.
Not all news is good news
As encouraging as Capel and Nance’s progression is, the Hawks also ominously listed Trae Young and De’Andre Hunter as “questionable” on the injury report. Losing either player would be a significant blow for the Hawks.
Young is dealing with hamstring tightness. He has missed three games this season. The Hawks are 2-1 this season without Young.
Hunter is dealing with an illness. The Hawks have gone 5-8 in the games Hunter has missed.
The good news – even in the ominous listing – is that NBA.com’s Kevin Chouinard reported that Young was at shootaround with Capela and Nance ahead of Saturday’s tilt. Chouinard also noted rookie Zaccharie Risacher’s presence.
Risacher has missed the Hawks’ last six games, and he remains sidelined for their game against the Raptors on Saturday as he rehabs his adductor injury.
He was getting shots up, though.
Zaccharie Risacher came out after shootaround to get some shots up, and these were the first few floaters as he was warming up. pic.twitter.com/ldsU39ze94
— Kevin Chouinard (@KLChouinard) January 25, 2025
The real bad news
Arguably the most disheartening part about the Hawks’ update? Jalen Johnson. Listed with a shoulder strain after his early exit against the Raptors in the last meeting, Johnson will not suit up in this contest.
It will be his first absence with the injury, about which few to no details have been shared beyond how it is being classified.
The Hawks are 4-4 without Johnson entering today’s match.
The Hawks are riding a three-game losing streak. They are 4-7 since the calendar turned, which is 10th in the Eastern Conference in that span.