Hawks starting center Clint Capela has suffered a strained right calf and will be unavailable for the next one-to-two weeks, the team announced today (Twitter link).
Backup big man Onyeka Okongwu, the sixth pick in the 2020 draft out of USC, will most likely start in Capela’s stead while the vet recovers from his calf injury.
Capela, 28, has enjoyed a solid individual season for what has proven to be a tense interpersonal 2022/23 start for the Hawks. The 6’10” Swiss big man is averaging 12.1 PPG, 12.0 RPG, and 1.3 BPG through 26 games this year. He is connecting on 63.3% of his field goals, mostly in and around the post.
At 14-15, the Hawks are currently the ninth seed in an Eastern Conference loaded with middle-of-the-pack clubs within a few games of one another. Atlanta is just three games behind the fourth-seeded Nets, but also a mere two games clear of the East’s No. 11 seed, the Bulls.
Essentially, even making the play-in tournament will require a decent amount of injury luck, and the Hawks have not quite had that yet, thanks to a two-week absence for starting power forward John Collins, who remains out at present with an ankle injury, and now this Capela ailment.
Man we can not catch a break. Except literally of course. Somebody get Derrick Favors otp.. also Dejounte Murray is out & will be for another week at least
Whiteside is available for nothing…..
Often. People here ask why is Collins often available. This is why. It seems he is never healthy to get in synch or on any kind of roll.