Hawks vs. Raptors: Mike Scott to miss game for personal reasons

Mike Scott is enjoying the best season of his NBA career, and his absence will leave the Atlanta Hawks shorthanded as they take on the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night.

The team announced that Scott is not in Toronto for the game for what they term as personal reasons, leaving the Hawks shorthanded in the frontcourt. Obviously, Tiago Splitter's absence has already left the cupboard relatively bare, but Scott has effectively acted as Atlanta's third big man in recent days.

With that in mind, a bit of additional information came to light on Thursday afternoon, as Chris Vivlamore reported that Scott is expecting a child.

Mike Scott is not with Hawks in Toronto for personal reasons (expectant child).

— Chris Vivlamore (@CVivlamoreAJC) March 10, 2016

The addition of veteran power forward Kris Humphries, who has played 13 minutes or more in three straight games, helps to mitigate Scott's absence from the team, but it also paves the way for increased playing time for Mike Muscala. While Scott's defensive ability has been much maligned, he has improved in that area this season and with a 40% clip from three-point distance, his presence on the floor also helps to space the floor. Humphries does have some range in his own right, but the Hawks will more reliant on his strongest attribute, defensive rebounding, than what Scott traditionally brings offensively on this night.

Stay tuned for additional information as it becomes available, but for now, the Hawks will simply be without Mike Scott for their brief journey to Canada.