Clint Capela will miss the Hawks’ 2020-21 regular season opener in Chicago with left Achilles soreness.

Before Wednesday’s game, Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said that Capela was just sore. When asked if there was concern that this could be more of a long-term injury, Pierce reiterated that Capela was experiencing soreness.

So it may be something minor, though Capela has a history with tricky injuries. After the Hawks acquired Capela from the Rockets at last year’s trade deadline, he was unable to make his debut due to a nagging right heel injury, which the Hawks officially listed as “right calcaneus contusion/plantar fasciitis.” By the summer, Capela was feeling better, and he was able to play 5-on-5 during minicamp in November and during training camp in December.

In the preseason, Capela was providing a strong rebounding presence, which the Hawks will certainly miss. He didn’t look like he was playing at full game speed, though, which Pierce has acknowledged.

Capela played in all four preseason games but has not played in an official NBA game since Jan. 29, when he was still with Houston.

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