Hawks guard Kirk Hinrich is expected to miss at least the first month of the regular season while recovering from shoulder surgery.
Hawks general manager Rick Sund said Hinrich had surgery in early November to repair the labrum and remove a cyst in his left shoulder. Hinrich had the procedure after he experienced discomfort as a result of offseason workouts.
“The injury typically requires three to four months of recovery,” Sund said Friday.
Based on that timeline, Hinrich could be out through the end of February. The 66-game NBA regular-season schedule will begin Dec. 25 if there are no unexpected snags in the ratification of the new collective bargaining agreement next week.
Hinrich’s injury deals a significant blow to the Hawks’ depth in the backcourt, particularly since he plays both guard positions. With Jamal Crawford set to become a free agent, Hinrich is one of three experienced guards under contract for this season, along with Joe Johnson and Jeff Teague.
Teague now enters camp, scheduled to begin Dec. 9, as the only experienced point guard on the roster and, barring a major addition, will be the starter for at least the first month of the regular season. Teague played well in the 2011 Eastern Conference semifinals in relief of Hinrich, who was out with a hamstring injury, but Teague hadn’t been a regular member of the rotation before then.
The Hawks have seven players with guaranteed contracts and have little flexibility to add free agents because of salary-cap and luxury-tax restraints. Teams aren’t allowed to sign free agents until the CBA is ratified and training camps open.
The Hawks are interested in re-signing Crawford, who said he’s open to a return. He’s expected to command a high price on the market, and the Hawks likely wouldn’t be able to sign him without paying the dollar-for-dollar luxury tax on team salary in excess of $70 million.
Guard Pape Sy, the team’s second-round draft pick in 2010, will be at training camp with a non-guaranteed contract. He had some productive games during a recent stint with a club in his native France, but played a total of 21 minutes in three games for the Hawks last season.
The Hawks acquired Hinrich in a Feb. 23 trade with Washington that sent the Wizards rookie guard Jordan Crawford and a 2011 first-round pick. He started 22 of 24 games for the Hawks during the regular season and, after a slow start, was a central part of their victory against Orlando in the first round of the playoffs.
Exhibition games, scrimmage set
The Hawks announced they will play two exhibition games against Charlotte: at Charlotte on Dec. 19 and at Philips Arena on Dec. 22. The Hawks also plan to hold a free public scrimmage at Philips Arena on Dec. 16.
