The 2023-24 NBA regular season has not been kind to the Atlanta Hawks, even though this team had high hopes of finally being able to live up to expectations, with superstar guard Trae Young leading the way for the struggling franchise.
Unfortunately, with 49 regular-season games in the books, the team is barely in the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference, with the team sporting a disappointing record of 22-27.
With the team struggling, even though they’ve won four straight games, including an overtime thriller against the Golden State Warriors, Atlanta could be one of the most active teams headed toward the NBA trade deadline.
Despite the fact that the Hawks could be wheeling and dealing next week, Atlanta suffered a blow to their frontcourt, with veteran center Clint Capela going down with an abductor strain, according to Marc J. Spears of ESPN.
Hawks say center Clint Capela has been diagnosed with a left adductor strain. He will be re-evaluated in seven-to-10 days.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) February 4, 2024
Capela is averaging a double-double in 47 games played so far this season, with the 29-year-old putting up 11.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 57.5% from the floor.
Obviously, a center averaging a double-double will be sorely missed, especially for a team trying to put something together in the second half of the regular season in order to make the NBA playoffs.
Along with his play being missed on the floor, Capela has been mentioned in trade rumors as of late, which might derail some trade talks with the trade deadline looming.
It’ll be interesting to see how this injury changes the team’s plans heading toward the deadline and whether it forces Atlanta to pivot to bring in another big man.
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