While there was plenty to monitor during NBA Summer League in both Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, two members of the Atlanta Hawks were noticeably absent. Kevin Huerter, the No. 19 overall pick in the 2018 draft, and DeAndre’ Bembry missed the proceedings due to injury issues and, while both were present during off-court activities in July, Monday’s Media Day session provided an opportunity for both to clear the air on where they are in injury recovery. In short, both are on track for full participation in training camp and, for Huerter, this will be his first, full-blown NBA experience. When the Hawks selected the sharpshooter from Maryland, the franchise was aware of a hand issue with Huerter and the rookie went through surgery that kept him on the sideline earlier in the summer. Now, though, it is no longer something providing a barrier between Huerter and the floor. “My hand’s a lot better,” Huerter said at Media Day. “I’ve had no limitations for about a month. I wouldn’t say it’s 100 percent. There are still times when it gets hit when it bothers me for a couple of minutes, but it’s nothing that will affect me going forward.” While it may raise eyebrows that Huerter is still affected at times, he emphasized that there are “no restrictions” on his basketball work at this point. The youngster did note that it will, of course, be up to the discretion of the coaching staff as to how much playing time he receives in the early going, but that will be a basketball decision, rather than one driven by injury concerns. As for Bembry, the third-year swingman suffered a wrist fracture in April and, while the ailment wasn’t originally scheduled to keep him off the floor through July, that is what eventually transpired. Still, Bembry was able to return to the floor in August and he spoke with optimism and focus when it comes to durability. “My goal is to try to keep myself healthy,” Bembry said. “Last year was pretty rough for me dealing with injuries for the first time. So I’m just trying to keep my body right, keep mentally right and I think I’ll be fine from there.” While not everyone may believe the moniker that health is a skill, it is one that has eluded Bembry at times during his young NBA career. As a result of his on-court sample size being checkered, there is some question as to whether the Hawks will pick up his fourth-year option, putting significant pressure on the St. Joseph’s product to produce during training camp and the preseason. “I’ve been here all summer working out,” Bembry said. “I just got cleared about a month ago. I’m pretty healthy now... For the most part, I’ve been feeling good. I’ve been looking good. I’ve just got to keep it that way during the season.” “I think this has been one of my best summers. I just had to wait to get cleared but, after that, I think I’ve gotten a lot better than where I was last summer.” It remains to be seen as to whether Bembry can stay healthy and, by extension, earn a role in Atlanta’s future plans, whereas the bigger questions with Huerter center on his transition to the NBA as a whole. Fortunately for both young wings, it appears that availability isn’t an active concern as training camp opens, leading the way to some healthy competition for playing time.<doc-sep>Training camp begins on Tuesday, Sept. 25 but, when the Atlanta Hawks formally assemble on the floor for the first time, at least four players will be unavailable for full-time duty. Previously, Chris Vivlamore of the AJC reported that both Dewayne Dedmon and Justin Anderson would be unavailable at the start of camp and, on Monday morning, he added two more players to the list in Daniel Hamilton and Omari Spellman. Add Daniel Hamilton (shoulder) and Omari Spellman (shin soreness) to Hawks list of unavailable players to start training camp. Dewayne Dedmon and Justin Anderson previously reported. — Chris Vivlamore (@CVivlamoreAJC) September 24, 2018 In addition, Vivlamore shed light on the timetable for both injuries. Hamilton re-evaluated in a week. Spellman out 7-10 days. — Chris Vivlamore (@CVivlamoreAJC) September 24, 2018 In a formal release, the Hawks indicated that Hamilton “presented with symptoms of a shoulder injury earlier in September” and he has a tear in his right rotator cuff. The newly acquired wing is undergoing a non-surgical treatment plan on the ailment but no formal timetable is available for his full return. As for Spellman, Atlanta announced that an MRI on Spellman’s shin showed “soft tissue inflammation” and he will return gradually after the stated 7-10 day timetable of rest. At the very least, the Hawks will open with only 16 of their 20 players (included three non-guaranteed camp invitees) on Tuesday and that should make things interesting. On the bright side, Jeremy Lin has returned to the floor with what the team describes as “limited restrictions” on the heels of rupturing his patella tendon of the right knee in October. He is expected to take part in training camp. Without definitive timetables on some injuries, it is likely too early to assess full-blown rotation questions for the start of the regular season but this is a developing story to monitor as October approaches. Stay tuned.<doc-sep>
Five players have been announced with injuries ahead of Atlanta Hawks training camp this week. As Atlanta Hawks media day rolls along with all of its fanfare, fluff and newsworthy comments and capers, multiple players have been announced with injuries ahead of training camp. Though most of the injuries and delays seem to have been taken care of earlier in the offseason, though are still noteworthy as the entire franchise gears up for the 2018-19 season. Many of the players mentioned in the reports are new acquisitions for the Atlanta Hawks, which means that the team’s decision-makers were unconcerned with the severity of the injuries. Most notably, Jeremy Lin has been cleared to return to basketball activities with limited restrictions. This is great news, as Lin only played in one game last year before rupturing his patellar tendon. Jeremy Lin is expected to participate in training camp as he recovers from a ruptured patella tendon. He has returned to regular basketball activities with limited restrictions. — Kevin Chouinard (@KLChouinard) September 24, 2018 Similarly, Dewayne Dedmon recently suffered an avulsion fracture in his left ankle and is in the second week of his weight-bearing rehab. It was lucky that Dedmon could move freely, otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to see him troll Taurean Prince during an interview: Dewayne Dedmon is a Media Day favorite. pic.twitter.com/9O7OSdwTbB — Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) September 24, 2018 Two other new additions to the team, Justin Anderson and Daniel Hamilton, are recovering from offseason injuries. Anderson had surgery on his left leg in June and is still recovering. He is out for training camp. Hamilton has a slight tear in his right rotator cuff and opted for a non-surgical treatment plan. Perhaps the biggest name beyond Lin to have an announced injury is rookie Omari Spellman. Spellman was listed as having a soft tissue inflammation in his left shin and will miss the next 7-10 days. He will be brought back gradually, as there’s no reason to rush back the promising rookie. Keep it locked to Soaring Down South for all your Atlanta Hawks news and updates.