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John Collins Making Progress in Injury Recovery

The Atlanta Hawks power forward is progressing in his injury recovery.

Pat Benson

© Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
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Another day and another John Collins injury update. Today, the Atlanta Hawks held practice before their Play-In Tournament against the Charlotte Hornets tomorrow night.

Hawks head coach Nate McMillan confirmed that Collins has been playing 4-on-4 and has "been moving a lot more."  When Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution asked if Collins would be able to suit up for the Hornets game, McMillan replied, "We'll see tomorrow."

The high-flying power forward hasn't played since March 11 due to a sprained foot and nasty sprained finger. However, he had missed six consecutive games between February 13 and March 3 with the same injuries.

The messaging surrounding Collins has been all over the place. Starting when McMillan admitted that he wasn't telling us everything about Collins' health following the Clippers game on March 11. Then on March 17, we learned that Collins took it upon himself to seek a second medical opinion outside of the organization.

On March 29, Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk said there was still no timetable for his return. Two days later, on April 1, Hawks CEO Steve Koonin revealed in a radio interview that Collins had been working out with the team in a limited way. 

Hours after Koonin's radio interview, the Hawks PR Team put out a statement that said "His [Collins] return to basketball activity will be dependent on upcoming follow-up appointments with foot and finger specialists, and consultation with the team’s medical staff. His status will be updated as appropriate."

This past Friday, April 8, Collins spoke for himself. After warming up before the game against the Miami Heat, Collins told Chris Kirschner of The Athletic that he's "still not sure yet" about his return.

'John the Baptist' finished the regular season with a stat line of 16.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in 54 games. As much as I would love to see Collins back on the court, I doubt it happens. 

Neither the finger nor the foot injury is something the Hawks are going to take lightly. Especially when the 24-year-old just signed a five-year, $125 million contract this past summer.

If Collins doesn't suit up tomorrow night, that means Danilo Gallinari will likely start at the power forward position. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's AllHawks.com for breaking news, highlights, and analysis.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the Atlanta Hawks for Sports Illustrated's All Hawks. He has covered the NBA for several years and is the author of "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)".

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