John Collins upgraded to probable for game against Pistons

Atlanta Hawks rookie big man John Collins had a weird day on Tuesday.

In short, Collins continued his rehab from a shoulder injury by being assigned to the G League’s Erie BayHawks, practicing with the club and immediately being recalled to the NBA team before the Hawks even tipped off against the Cleveland Cavaliers. That, coupled with buzz that he could be targeting a Thursday evening return against the Detroit Pistons, provided optimism that he could take the floor in an NBA game shortly and more evidence arrived on Wednesday.

Atlanta announced that Collins has been upgraded to probable in advance of the game against Detroit, providing real optimism that he will see the floor. Of course, it should be noted that a simple designation of ‘probable’ doesn’t mean he will definitely play but, in the same breath, it would certainly seem more likely than not at this stage.

If Collins can return to action, it will be interesting to see what Mike Budenholzer does with a rotation that featured Tyler Cavanaugh as the starting center on Tuesday with Miles Plumlee, Ersan Ilyasova and Luke Babbitt filling additional roles. Regardless, it is definitely a good thing to see positive momentum for Collins and he remains must-see TV for Hawks fans.

Stay tuned.