Atlanta Hawks: Al Horford out 3-4 months with injury
The Hawks say Al Horford will miss 3-4 months with a torn pectoral muscle suffered during last night’s 96-84 loss at Indiana.. Horford is to get a second opinion on whether to proceed with the surgery.
Under the most most optimistic time frame, Horford would return in mid-April. Atlanta’s final regular-season game is scheduled for April 26.
“It’s disappointing news,” Hawks co-owner Michael Gearon Jr. said. “Al is a big part of our success. Hopefully he will be back by the playoffs. The tough part is we have been playing hard and playing well. We will have to try to get through it. We’re a veteran team and we have to find a way.”
Gearon said he hadn’t yet spoken to GM Rick Sund and wasn’t sure what moves the Hawks might make in the wake of Horford’s injury. In addition to Hoford, Atlanta’s centers include Zaza Pachulia and Jason Collins.
Atlanta’s payroll currently is slightly above the luxury-tax threshold of $70 million. The roster players without salary guarantees include guards Jannero Pargo, Donald Sloan and Jerry Stackhouse and forward Ivan Johnson
Veteran free agent centers include Erick Dampier, Kyrylo Fesenko, Dan Gadzuric, Joel Przybilla, Earl Barron and D.J. Mbenga.
Zach Klein of Channel 2 Action News first reported that Horford had a serious injury. Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports reported Horford would miss 3-4 months with a pectoral injury.
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605 comments Add your comment
terrell
January 12th, 2012
4:36 pm
Ken, it’s for the simple fact that Vlad at least gave us some hope at the sf position for a game or two. And hope is a word a Hawks fan would never use, where Marvin is concerned. We’ve known what were gonna get from him for years. Sure, he’ll have a couple of decent performances here and there. Always does. But then it’s back to being Marvin. And btw, it doesnt really matter if Marv starts or not to be honest. He wont be on the floor at crunchtime. Never has been. It was always Flip/Jamal. And now it will be Tmac. So…….
HoosierHawk
January 12th, 2012
4:36 pm
@Tyger
Maybe it’s just because of his new TV gig, but Shaq was at Phillips opening night, and he wasn’t dressed for the TV gig. It was also not a national tv game, so i thik he was there just because. Not that it says much, but at least he spends time in the a already.
The Spook who sat by the door
January 12th, 2012
4:39 pm
Cut Stack and/or Sloan and then try to acquire Thabeet [who I believe is with the Rockets] for cash considerations. I could be wrong about Thabeet being with the Rockets; he’s still 7′3.” Where is Etan Thomas these days? What about on more go-round with Etan Thomas? I believe he was quoted as saying, “You can’t teach size.”
Najeh Davenpoop
January 12th, 2012
4:41 pm
If they choose to dismantle the core and they ship out Joe and Josh quickly, they may be able to tank enough to have an outside shot at Andre Drummond — who is a real center and can allow Al to play power forward next year.
Teague/Al/Drummond is not a bad starting point, especially if the Hawks can get more picks in exchange for Joe and Josh.
David
January 12th, 2012
4:41 pm
This team has looked explosive with Josh coming in lighter and faster and Teague looking like Iverson. With Al out, the entire complexion of the team changes. Shame… I was excited about this team. But it’s over now.
baller
January 12th, 2012
4:45 pm
Former Cavalier and Heat player Gary Alexander of USF fame is a little old but still in great shape and available. The guy can flat out play. He is currently a police officer that works at North Springs High School in Sandy Springs but I bet he would do wonders for the defense and rebounding inside for the Hawks if given the chance.
brigadierjerry
January 12th, 2012
4:47 pm
Ken, northcylde, drmaryb, vava what are your thoughts on these developments and where do the Hawks go from here?Stand pat or try to make some type of moves?
Miles
January 12th, 2012
4:47 pm
Theo Ratliff probably wants to get out of the old folk home
Ra'mon
January 12th, 2012
4:48 pm
Does anyone think that the Hawks should just say forget, and open the flood gates, and start running, now more than ever? Maybe this is the time to go Golden State until Horford comes back.
Tim
January 12th, 2012
4:48 pm
Season could be done. It was a good 3 weeks though.
Sautee
January 12th, 2012
4:48 pm
How this organization responds to this crisis will extremely telling on lots of levels.
Heisenberg
January 12th, 2012
4:49 pm
Alexander is only about 6-8 or so I believe so he is not really a center. I tried to foul him in a summer league game many years ago in Clearwater Fl and he just carried me to the rim with him. But I am just a 6 foot white guy so I doubt he knew I was there until the ref blew the whistle for the and-1.
Harry Hawk
January 12th, 2012
4:50 pm
If I were Rick Sund, I would be fully committed to trading any player who receives irrational devotion from any frequent commenters on this Hawks blog.
Brian
January 12th, 2012
4:50 pm
Jeez…..ATL never catches a break!
drmaryb.[*_*].
January 12th, 2012
4:51 pm
The Breaks!
Get Well Soon Mr. Horford!
______
“With ZaZa being the starter, don’t be surprised if his play improves. Or maybe that’s wishful thinking on my part.”
-OB-
_________
That’s what I was thinking. This is a great opportunity for zaza to step up and anchor the paint with rebounds and scoring. The defense will be an issue, so Josh will have no choice but to play inside 100% and let the shooters shoot.
Time for coach to earn his stay, not much he can cook up though without some groceries. There surely will be some e players waived from the bench. Stack and perhaps two others.
___________
Re: a torn pectoralis muscle. The pectoralis has two parts, major and minor. I posted last night that it is impossible to diagnose a shoulder sprain from an XRay. You can not see connective and soft tissues on an Xray. The pectoralis muscle is broad, flat and looks like a kite. The muscle meshes and flows into the tendon, which attaches itself by meshing into the periosteum, (outer layer of bone sheath, covering). In other words you can not separate the muscle from the tendon or bone without shearing away from the bone itself.
Imagine a banana peel pulling away from the banana. The only way to reconnect the muscle to the tendon. Is to insert plates, pins, screws.
This is a devastating injury, think of Bo Jackson from the 80’s his pelvis muscles peeled back in his hip area. A career ending injury for his sport. Conversely, Al has a shoulder involvement. The shoulder has one function: to put the hand in space so that you can do things. With rehab he will recover fine, he is young and healthy, so time is on his side.
On that play, Al’s left arm was fully extended upon Hibbert’s impact and, the ligaments were stretched beyond its para-physiological joint space/limit. So, something had to give. The good news is the ligament did not tear, so the muscle gave way. The ligament would have been probably a 12 month recovery, (maybe not that long, since it is not weight bearing and pivotal joint) like the knee, ankle, foot.
His season is done nonetheless. The other good news is this will force the ASKG to go get a damned true center to battle those monsters like Hibbert, Dwight and Bynum. BTW, Boguts injury was far worse, you see it took him two years to get right, this year.
We will be lucky to get that 8th seed now, unless like O’Brien said zaza surprises.
Mac-Town #maconchevyrider
January 12th, 2012
4:53 pm
damn wtf? So what yall think we gonna do? Somebody has to get signed, traded or something. Depending on our backup bigs is like depending on a T-Shirt for warmth in Alaska.
chanceman10
January 12th, 2012
4:54 pm
We will be straight
Heisenberg
January 12th, 2012
4:55 pm
drmaryb.[*_*].
I am not an orthopedic doctor but I believe the main issue with the Bo Jackson injury was the lack of blood flow to that area of the hip makes healing more difficult. This should not be an issue with the pectoral area. So a full recovery is possible given enough time. Yes/no??????
Atlanta Hawks Al Horford out for 3-4 months with torn pectoral -
January 12th, 2012
4:55 pm
[...] Atlanta Hawks heard devastating news today when news broke out that starting center Al Horford would miss three to four months due to a torn pectoral [...]
KevinM
January 12th, 2012
4:56 pm
Sund should be on the phone today looking for help…..but he will let Zaza,Collins and Johnson get a chance at the minutes.
So, I guess Sund might ‘consider’ bringing in a C now? He has to be forced to make a big move based on his record here.
Say goodbye to the D12 wishes…………………………………not that it was realistic anyway.
So, I see Pryzbilla and maybe Etan getting a call.
KevinM
January 12th, 2012
4:56 pm
And if you didn’t think Al liked to bang inside before, wait til he gets back….it will probably be non-existant.
Just Joe
January 12th, 2012
4:57 pm
Keith Benson on a 10-day contract makes the most sense right now. He was with us in training camp and should have some idea of what the offense & defense are trying to do.
drmaryb.[*_*].
January 12th, 2012
4:57 pm
Blame Stern!
Blame Stern and the GREEDY owners for trying to squeeze 66 games out of these guys and for scheduling 3 b2b games, after locking the players out and away from facilities, trainers and doctors and, also canceling their health insurance policies.
Regardless of how much the players earn – they are still HUMAN!
MattP
January 12th, 2012
4:58 pm
“He has to be forced to make a big move based on his record here.” – KevinM
That sounds like LD, no wonder why Sund hired him.
Harry Hawk
January 12th, 2012
4:58 pm
The Hawks will waive a couple of guys and then sign a veteran C who isn’t any good.
The Spook who sat by the door
January 12th, 2012
4:59 pm
I think this talk about blowing up the core is too hasty and too drastic. Let’s see how the Hawks play first without Horford before we consider making any significant changes to the roster. Other players will just have to step up right now while Horford is out [for probably the remainder of the season] and LD will just have to do his best Nate McMillan impersonation and coach ‘em up.
Now, I miss Jamal in a Hawks’ uni more than ever. You could depend on Jamal to pick up the scoring slack in these situations when one of your team’s main scorers is out [with injury or whatever]. When he’s given the green light to shoot/score, you know Jamal has the potential to fill it up.
MattP
January 12th, 2012
5:00 pm
Harry Hawk,
I agree with you
terrell
January 12th, 2012
5:02 pm
Is Nenad Krstic still in the league?
terrell
January 12th, 2012
5:03 pm
Gotta get a CHEAP center in here.
ASGboss
January 12th, 2012
5:08 pm
“The Spook who sat by the door
January 12th, 2012
4:59 pm
I think this talk about blowing up the core is too hasty and too drastic.”
You can rest assure that there is nothing being done is a hasty manner. We use all our resources as an organization to make the best decision that fits our salary structure. We really like what we have on our bench and think we can compete just fine without further movement.
Scoop
January 12th, 2012
5:08 pm
ANSWER TO PROBLEM: TRADE SMOOVE AND JOE FOR DWIGHT HOWARD!!!!!
PROBLEM SOLVED.
Rufus1
January 12th, 2012
5:09 pm
Karma….
He left his FIANCE while she was planning the wedding…
drmaryb.[*_*].
January 12th, 2012
5:10 pm
Blood Flow!
“I am not an orthopedic doctor but I believe the main issue with the Bo Jackson injury was the lack of blood flow to that area of the hip makes healing more difficult. ” -Hiesenberg-
__________
Excellent comment here!!! You may not be an orthopedist, but uou are thinking like one. I tried to explain the condition without using any medical terminology. But you are absolutely on point here, re: Bo Jackson.
The white meat: ligaments, tendons and intra-capsular joint cartilage ARE white, because they have NO blood supply conversely muscles and bone marrow do. Blood transports oxygen, nutrients and healing potential to tissues which sustains life. When blood flow is stopped to those organs, the tissue itself will undergo necrosis, (death of tissue) within minutes. That tissue death is permanent and irreversible.
Luckily, Al tore his muscle away from the tendon and not the bone itself. I imagine his tendon is still firmly emeshed into the bone and is unaffected. But this is still devastating nonetheless.
Great job Hiesenberg.
Scoop
January 12th, 2012
5:11 pm
@ DR. MaryB-your bias clearing shows. IT WAS THE PLAYERS WHO WANTED TO SQUEEZE IN 66 GAMES SO THEY WOULDNT MISS A PAYCHECK!!!!!!!-they chose to push the lockout w/o any business leverage and now they’re paying for it. NO ill will towards AL-get well soon buddy, we need u.
Atlanta sport fan
January 12th, 2012
5:13 pm
this cheap ownership full of lie rs is cursed. nobody forgot thrashers treason. as long they in power i guarantee not going to be close to success for reason of the ares cheap, or players injuries, or you name it. they take out sale tag because of more favorable CBA deal for owners. but no attendance in Atlanta for hawks, they are worry. now Al is out, playoff is in danger. Atlanta spirit, no CBA going to work for your profit on lies and cheap, better sale the team to avoid bankruptcy and curse will be out.
chuck
January 12th, 2012
5:13 pm
This season is done. The good news is we really need a lottery pick and the best thing that could happen to the hawks is for them to lose the rest of their games.
AtlSouthside
January 12th, 2012
5:14 pm
sign Mbenga or Dampier asap
Astro Joe
January 12th, 2012
5:15 pm
Isn’t there an age-old axiom that you never trade big for small? So we’re expecting Hinrich to be the center-piece of a trade that lands us a serviceable center that can help us get to the second round?
I’d vote for either a bigger PF that would allow us to play super-fast (e.g. Brandon Wright or Anthony Randolph or someone of that type) or go Big Country with Pryzbilla or Ostertag or pry Diop from Charlotte and split the minutes across the marginal centers on the team. Some one like Yi would have fit the athletic bill (just signed with Dallas). I just don’t see ripping the squad apart because we’re that close to breaking through the playoff glass ceiling. Anyone who thinks we’re a bigger (but not better) center than Horford away from the ECF is fooling themselves.
Scoop
January 12th, 2012
5:15 pm
Why is everyone jumping the gun?
The Hawks will be in the playoffs without a doubt…..worse case scenario we matchup against the heat or bulls rd 1 and we’ve done farely well against them so far…….slow ur roll fellas……as i said earlier, Hawks in 7 vs the Thunder in the NBA Finals!!!!!!
Iceman
January 12th, 2012
5:16 pm
Garrett Siler
Scoop
January 12th, 2012
5:16 pm
BTW
why hasnt LD gotten more flak for riding the starteers against NJ? That was the reason we came out flat against indy in the 2nd half. Terrible ccoaching IMO.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 12th, 2012
5:17 pm
” IT WAS THE PLAYERS WHO WANTED TO SQUEEZE IN 66 GAMES SO THEY WOULDNT MISS A PAYCHECK!!!!!!!”
My understanding is the players still get paid what they are owed. If that’s not true please show me a link.
“they chose to push the lockout w/o any business leverage and now they’re paying for it.”
Lockouts are owner-initiated actions. Nobody was “pushing” the lockout on the players’ end.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 12th, 2012
5:18 pm
“Isn’t there an age-old axiom that you never trade big for small? ”
That axiom predates the hand check rules that made the NBA a guard’s league about five or six years ago.
drmaryb.[*_*].
January 12th, 2012
5:18 pm
“So a full recovery is possible given enough time. Yes/no??????” -Hiesenberg-
_________
YES!!!
Admiral Ackbar
January 12th, 2012
5:19 pm
I told y’all it was a TRAP!
KevinM
January 12th, 2012
5:19 pm
Well, if you have to flounder through a season, this might be the best one to do just that.
This draft is considered deep and we should be able to pick up at least one contributor.
I’m glad that Sund can’t deal this draft pick unless they modified that rule in the new CBA agreement. I am never for giving up #1s because they always give you an opportunity to improve for a smaller price than a vet FA.
Admiral Ackbar
January 12th, 2012
5:20 pm
WHAT DID I SAY?! NO ONE LISTENED! I SAID “IT’S A TRAP!”
Scoop
January 12th, 2012
5:21 pm
Najeh you are misinformed my friend.
Contracts are contingent on providing a service. in other words in goes both ways. you dont get your money unless you produce/play. When Stern cancelled games b/c of a lack of an agreement (w/o leverage on the players side) they forfeit that percentage of their salary. When the players cancelled their lawsuit and deceided to settle, it was their decision to squeeze 66 games and receive their full salary instead of playing less of a schedule. I’m too lazy to find a link but i thought this was common knowledge….
drmaryb.[*_*].
January 12th, 2012
5:21 pm
IF!
If Drew had used the BIG line up? This would never had happened last night, maybe never. I know that’s not fair for me to say, really can’t blame coach.
Admiral Ackbar
January 12th, 2012
5:25 pm
Y’all are stupid! May the force be with the Rebel Alliance.