Malcolm Delaney undergoes successful ankle surgery

Update: The Hawks have officially announced Delaney’s arthroscopic left ankle surgery. The stated timetable for his recovery is six-to-eight weeks.

Malcolm Delaney did not appear in a game for the Atlanta Hawks from March 4 through the end of the season and an ankle injury was the culprit for his absence. On Monday, Delaney indicated that surgery was required and was completed successfully.

Note: The original tweet announcement has been deleted. A screen-shot remains here.

To this point, the Hawks have not announced the surgery, nor provided a timeline for recovery. Still, Delaney alluded to the potential of surgery on social media and announced it on his own in this case.

Delaney’s complete absence covered the final 18 games of the season, though he did appear in 54 games (making three starts) before suffering the injury. For the second straight season, the Hawks were better when Delaney played (-4.7 points per 100 possessions) than when he sat (-6.3 points per 100 possessions) and he posted improved numbers across the board, including an encouraging leap to 37.1 percent shooting from three-point range.

In addition, Delaney served as the team’s best defensive point guard and, while his overall efficiency numbers still leave something to be desired, the 29-year-old certainly improved to the point of solid play and consistency in his second NBA season. Delaney will be a restricted free agent, provided the Hawks issue a $3.125 million qualifying offer, in July and it will be interesting to see what the market dictates given his age at this point.

Stay tuned.