In his weekly spot with 92.9 The Game, Hawks general manager, Travis Schlenk, tells Mike Conti that center Clint Capela is close to returning to action. Capela picked up an ankle injury in a 134-118 loss to the Lakers on Jan. 7.
Hawks GM Travis Schlenk tells @929TheGame this morning that Clint Capela?s sprained ankle is not a long term injury, and they hope Capela could be back by this weekend.
— Mike Conti (@MikeConti929) January 18, 2022
Since the injury, Atlanta's gone just 1-4 in his absence. However, during that stretch, the Hawks' lone win was on Monday against the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks.
Atlanta's next game will be on Wednesday at home against the Timberwolves. According to Schlenk, Capela will likely miss that game which means his earliest return will be on Friday at home against the Heat or on Sunday in Charlotte against the Hornets.
At 18-25, the Hawks currently trail the Heat by 9.5 games in the Southeast Division, and they're four games outside of a spot for the playoff play-in tournament. FanDuel Sportsbook currently lists Atlanta's odds to win the division at +1600 and +3600 to win the Eastern Conference.
