Lou Williams has surgery by Dr. James Andrews to repair torn ACL

Lou Williams made the first step towards recovery from his torn ACL in his right knee Thursday morning as he underwent surgery from world-renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews in Gulf Breeze, Florida. Andrews was assisted by Hawks orthopedic surgeon Dr. Ashok Reddy. Williams will stay in Florida for 2-3 weeks for rest, rehab, and evaluations on the early progress of his recovery.

Having surgery early in February means Lou Williams, pending no setbacks, would probably return to the Hawks for basketball activities in late October and be available to play in early-to-mid November (if he goes on the same type of schedule that Derrick Rose, Iman Shumpert, and Ricky Rubio did for their returns from the same injury). Williams' absence has been noticeable in the Hawks' bench unit's recent struggles on the offensive end. Lou's return next season will be a welcome sight, but the players he will join remains up in the air as the Hawks could undergo a serious rebuild this offseason.