Surgically repaired Hawks players Thabo Sefolosha, Kyle Korver and Shelvin Mack have all been cleared for basketball activities to differing degrees a week before the start of training camp, coach Mike Budenholzer said.
“I would say, to differing degrees, they are doing basketball activities now,” Budenholzer said Monday. “Whether it’s some 2-on-2 or 3-on-3 between now and camp there is the potential for some 5-on-5 in a limited kind of way. But shooting, working out and doing those types of things, they are making good progress.”
Sefolosha had the most serious injury as he suffered a broken right fibula and ligament damage in April in an incident with police outside a New York nightclub. He has surgery and missed the rest of the regular season and playoffs. A trial in the case is scheduled to begin during training camp on Oct. 5.
Korver had right ankle surgery after being injured during the Eastern Conference finals. He subsequently had surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow.
Mack had surgery on his right shoulder after being injured in the final game of the conference finals. He suffered a separation and some ligament damage.
Even with the players cleared for basketball activities, Budenholzer expects to bring them along slowly at the start of training camp and the preseason.
“They’ve all had very good summers,” Budenholzer said. “I think they are on schedule, maybe even a little ahead of schedule. It’s interesting even between now (and the start of camp), it’s another seven, eight, nine days. It’s an important week for them to see how they are going into camp. I’m sure we’ll be hopeful that they are cleared and ready to go.
“Even if they are, I think being smart and easing them into camp and into the preseason will most likely be the route that we go.”
The Hawks currently have a training camp roster of 19 heading into training camp. They could add one more player to reach the limit of 20 players. Camp begins with media day on Monday. The team will then depart for Athens and spend the first three days of workouts at the University of Georgia. An open workout will be held at Philips Arena on Oct. 3.
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