Just a month ahead of the play-in tournament, the Eastern Conference’s tenth-seeded Atlanta Hawks have just lost a starter for the foreseeable future. Small forward Saddiq Bey, playing his first full season with the Hawks since he was acquired from the Detroit Pistons at the 2022-23 trade deadline, has torn his left ACL. The 6’7″ vet out of Villanova will miss the rest of the 2023-24 NBA season, the Hawks have announced in a statement:
An @emoryhealthcare injury update:
Saddiq Bey left last night’s game vs. New Orleans after hyperextending his left knee. An MRI taken earlier today at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex revealed a torn left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Bey will miss the remainder of the… pic.twitter.com/KH8VZ0waGH
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) March 11, 2024
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports that Atlanta discovered the full extent of the damage following an MRI. It’s a bummer of a development for the Hawks. On Sunday, Bey injured his knee during the fourth quarter of the club’s 116-103 defeat against the New Orleans Pelicans.
ESPN Sources: Atlanta Hawks F Saddiq Bey has suffered a season-ending torn left ACL. MRI revealed injury this morning. Bey — who’ll be a restricted free agent this summer — has averaged 13.7 points and 6.5 rebounds. pic.twitter.com/DlPmzV3lhj
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 11, 2024
Steven Ryan/Getty Images
The 24-year-old wraps up his season having played 63 contests (51 starts) for the Hawks. He boasts averages of 13.7 points on a .416/.316/.837 slash line, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.8 steals a night. Bey is currently still on his rookie scale contract, and will become a restricted free agent this summer. He’s owed an $8,486,620 qualifying offer this summer.
Atlanta should still have enough firepower, even without Bey healthy, to at least secure a play-in berth. The Hawks have a significant talent (and wins) edge over the two teams trailing them in the East standings, the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors. All-Star point guard Trae Young, All-Defensive combo guard Dejounte Murray, power forward Jalen Johnson, and center Clint Capela together comprise a formidable foursome, even with Young’s predilection to hog the ball and apparent allergy to defense.
How will Hawks head coach Quin Snyder, also in the midst of his first full season with the franchise after signing on late last year, replace Bey’s minutes? It seems like moving benched combo forward De’Andre Hunter back into the starting five would make the most immediate sense. Hunter, like Bey, can be toggled at either forward spot, and has the tools to be a helpful perimeter threat on the wing. Another option would be starting sixth man guard Bogdan Bogdanvoic, although then Atlanta would cede a lot of size on the wing with Bogdanovic playing alongside Murray. Both players are 6’5″ and lack the strength and length to keep up with the Kawhi Leonards and Jimmy Butlers of the league.
Uncommon Knowledge
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