Cam Reddish to be re-evaluated in mid-May, likely to miss rest of regular season

Injuries have plagued the Atlanta Hawks throughout the 2020-21 season, particularly on the wing. Earlier in the season, Bogdan Bogdanovic missed 25 games with an avulsion fracture in his right knee, and De’Andre Hunter has been sidelined for 41 of the last 43 games with a right knee issue. In addition, second-year wing Cam Reddish last appeared on Feb. 21, missing the last 32 games with what the Hawks describe as right Achilles soreness.

On Tuesday, Atlanta provided an official update on Reddish’s Achilles injury. The Hawks say he “has progressed to running and dynamic foot contacts every other day, and capacity building strength work four to five days a week.”

However, he will be reviewed the week of May 16. For reference, Atlanta’s regular season finale is scheduled for May 16 against the Houston Rockets.

Reddish previously underwent a non-surgical procedure on Monday, March 8 after missing six games. From there, his last update prior to Tuesday was on Apr. 13, when the Hawks indicated that Reddish “progressed his rehabilitation activities to include spot shooting and will be introduced to straight line running later this week.”

Crucially, re-evaluation is not the same as return and, even if Reddish was able to play immediately, this timeline would seemingly indicate that he is unlikely to return during the regular season. The Hawks are projected to reach the playoffs but, with that as the backdrop, expectations should be modest in terms of Reddish’s potential impact this season. As with most long-term injuries, he will likely need a period to ramp up his activity following the “all clear” from the training staff, and Reddish could lag behind other wing options if the Hawks have improved health elsewhere.

In 26 games (21 starts) this season, Reddish is averaging 11.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, taking the court for 28.8 minutes per contest. He has been a valuable defensive contributor with intriguing offensive upside, though Reddish has struggled with his shooting efficiency, including a 26.2 percent mark on three-point attempts and a 48.8 percent true shooting clip for the season.

At this stage, the overall hope would be for the 21-year-old Reddish to reach full health as soon as possible. Even if he is not able to return in full force this season, he is a potentially vital piece of Atlanta’s future.

Stay tuned.