De'Andre Hunter Out for Season

The Atlanta Hawks' promising young forward De'Andre Hunter has been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to a tear in the lateral meniscus of his right knee. The team reported on Wednesday that Hunter experienced swelling in his knee prior to Game 1 of the Eastern conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers. Upon further examination, doctors determined that Hunter's meniscus would require surgery, which he will undergo on June 15th in L.A. His recovery could potentially extend into the start of next season, according to CBS Sports.

There is no question that Hunter's absence is felt by the Hawks. Head Coach Nate McMillan noted that they "miss him" and "are a better ball club when he's out on the floor with us, because he just does so many things. Not only can he defend multiple positions, but he's also an option on the offensive end of the floor." McMillan is correct: in the playoffs, Hunter boasts an impressive on/off-court offensive rating of plus-17 while averaging 10.8 points and 37.5% shooting from three. Atlanta could have used Hunter's size and explosiveness against the physically massive and defensively tough 76ers. Nonetheless, the Hawks hope to take the series lead on Friday at 7:30 E.T. The series is currently tied 1-1.

I asked Nate McMillan about how De'Andre Hunter's spirits are doing (he'll have surgery Tuesday): "It's very tough for him. He really fought hard to come back and help us, and he did in our last series... It's very frustrating for him, but it's something that needs to be done."

— Sarah K. Spencer (@sarah_k_spence) June 10, 2021

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