Mike Muscala recalled to Atlanta Hawks from G League

It has been a lost season to this point for Mike Muscala, as the veteran big man last took the floor for the Atlanta Hawks on Nov. 3. However, there is now a strong indication that the Bucknell product could return to action soon, as he was recalled from the Erie BayHawks of the G League on Sunday.

In three contests for Erie, Muscala averaged 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 block per game in 17.4 minutes of action and, though his actual production is not as important as health, it was nice to see him play well at that level. Head coach Mike Budenholzer indicated to the AJC that Saturday was “a big day” for Muscala before Atlanta took the floor against Portland and, in response, Muscala played 19 minutes of effective basketball for the BayHawks, paving the way for his return.

The Hawks are not in action until Tuesday (in Phoenix) but a return now allows Muscala to travel to the west coast with the team and it will be interesting to see how Budenholzer and the staff manage his workload. With Muscala only seeing the floor in nine games and Dewayne Dedmon’s continued injury absence, Miles Plumlee has emerged as an every-night contributor with John Collins coming off the bench in a prominent role. It would make sense on some level to work Muscala back into the mix quickly if possible but it remains to be seen how that will be handled.

Regardless, Mike Muscala appears to be ready to play and that is a welcome sign after nearly two months on the shelf.