De’Andre Hunter, who has missed 23 games after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in early February, is listed as questionable for Monday’s game at the Los Angeles Clippers.
It’s a sign the small forward could be ready to play soon — possibly during the remainder of Atlanta’s eight-game road trip out West. The Hawks (22-20) defeated the Lakers 99-94 Saturday in L.A.
Per interim coach Nate McMillan, Hunter was able to go through all of practice Sunday, though it was more of a walk-through of scripted plays. The team didn’t scrimmage nor have drills with contact.
In 18 games this season, Hunter averaged 17.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in 32.2 minutes per game. He had become an integral part of the team on both ends of the floor, and the Hawks have sorely missed him, though without him they’ve managed to surge to an eight-game winning streak after the coaching change.
In early March, Hunter had begun ramping up his activity while rehabbing. He’ll take time to work back to 100%, but getting him back would give the Hawks a serious boost in the second half of the season, as they aim for the playoffs.
