Second-year Hawks forward DeAndre’ Bembry may not be healthy to start the regular season. Bembry suffered a strained right tricep and is expected to be sidelined from basketball activity for four to six weeks, the team announced today in a press release.
Bembry, the 21st overall pick in the 2016 draft, didn’t play a whole lot for the Hawks in his rookie season, averaging just 9.8 minutes per game in 38 contests. However, he had a strong Summer League showing in Las Vegas this July, recording 17.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.3 APG, 2.8 SPG, and a .565 FG% in just 26.3 MPG (four games).
As Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes, Bembry figures to be in line for an increased role in 2017/18 with the rebuilding Hawks. The club lost a little wing depth this offseason as veterans Tim Hardaway Jr. and Thabo Sefolosha signed with new teams, opening the door for Bembry and other young players, such as fellow 2016 first-rounder Taurean Prince.
Before he can battle for minutes though, Bembry will have to be medically cleared, and that may not happen until after the regular season gets underway. The Hawks will kick off their schedule on October 18 in Dallas, and a six-week recovery for Bembry would mean an October 25 return.