Hawks face the Knicks without key center Jock Landale. His absence leaves a significant void in the paint, impacting Atlanta's playoff strategy.
The first round of the NBA playoffs is just two days away, and the Atlanta Hawks are preparing to take on the New York Knicks in a highly anticipated seven-game series.
For the Hawks, they have been without center Jock Landale for the past two weeks, and a recent injury report by Atlanta's social media team suggests he will be out at least another two weeks.
Ahead of the Knicks series, here is the official Hawks injury report update on Landale:
"Jock Landale, who sustained a high right ankle sprain on April 1 at Orlando, is progressing in his rehabilitation. He will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks and an update will be provided at that time."
Considering the maximum amount of time the first round can go is about two weeks, it's fair to say Jock Landale will not be suiting up for Atlanta unless the Hawks advance.
The center position is a focal point in this series, and the Landale injury was a big blow for Atlanta at the end of the season. He got injured on April 1 against the Orlando Magic and has been out ever since. Landale could have been a strong option to guard Karl-Anthony Towns or Mitchell Robinson in the painted area in specific spots, but it figures to be Onyeka Okongwu's repsoncibility at this juncture.
The good news, however, is that no additional Hawks players have popped up on the injury report ahead of game one, which is set to tip off at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Since being traded to the Hawks from the Grizzlies at the NBA trade deadline, Landale has played in 23 games with Atlanta and averaged 9.1 points per game on 52% shooting. He also added four rebounds in an average of 19.4 minutes per game.
It's a big loss for the Hawks, but after the initial injury, which appeared to be serious, Atlanta likely knew they would be without Landale in the first round.
Atlanta signed center Tony Bradley in the final week of the season, and it's possible he could see sporadic minutes if the Hawks have a really hard time keeping Towns and Robinson out of the paint.