John Collins Seeking Second Opinion on Injuries

The Hawks forward is missing more time.

© Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

If Trae Young is the heart and soul of the Hawks, that makes John Collins the brain or some equally important organ or mystical component of the team. Unfortunately, Collins has been on the shelf for most of February and March with a sprained foot and gruesome finger injury.

The pair of injuries could not come at a worse time. The Hawks are once again below .500 and 10th in the Eastern Conference. Following the loss in Charlotte, Trae Young made headlines when he admitted there was a little bit "more luck" last year - especially when it comes to injuries.

Today at practice, Hawks head coach Nate McMillan provided a status update on Collins, and it wasn't promising. According to Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, McMillan said Collins is seeking a second opinion for his foot and finger injuries. Additionally, McMillan doesn't know yet if Collins will miss extended time. The organization is waiting for more information.

Here's more from Nate McMillan when I asked if John Collins could miss some extended time:

"We really don’t know. He’s going to get checked out and get more information for himself as well as for the organization and we’ll see what happens when we get that information." https://t.co/arWFVuLvng

— Sarah K. Spencer (@sarah_k_spence) March 17, 2022

McMillan has admitted to being less than forthright with the media. After the Clippers game on March 11, McMillan said the following about Collins' injuries:

"We're not going to tell you everything. I just respect him for his effort. He does have some things going on that he's trying to play through. But he suited up and gave us his best effort. I really have a great deal of respect for what John is doing for us and what he's trying to play through."

However, McMillan's secrecy couldn't stop a picture of Collins' badly-injured finger from circulating online earlier this week. That's when one doctor projected it could take upwards of six weeks to heal, which depended on several different variables.

With both his finger and foot giving him serious problems, I believe it's time for the Hawks to shut Collins down for the season. They just signed the 24-year-old to a 5-year, $125 million contract. Unfortunately, the front office punted on the trade deadline and buy-out market, so barring some supernatural event, this team's chances of even making the playoffs are quickly diminishing. 

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