Hawks SG John Jenkins is ‘day to day’ with back issue
By Brad Rowland
At a position of weakness for the Atlanta Hawks, the team can’t particularly afford another injury at the shooting guard spot, but that’s exactly where they are.
John Jenkins (lower back spasms) said he was encouraged to start shooting. Remains day-to-day but said he is "coming along." #ATLHawks
— Chris Vivlamore (@CVivlamoreAJC) October 14, 2013
This isn’t a “new” story for the Hawks, as Jenkins was already ruled out for the team’s first 2 preseason games, but the 2nd-year shooting guard was missing in action for the Hawks’ 3rd preseason game, and the issue remains. Normally (as noted by the AJC’s Chris Vivlamore above), back spasms aren’t a major, ongoing issue, but this ailment has already gone past the initial timetable.
Last season, Jenkins had a solid, but unspectacular debut in the league. The 22-year-old posted a very respectable 13.08 PER in 61 games, but concerns about his ability to contribute across the board (i.e. not just as a pure shooter) weren’t exactly alleviated.
Unfortunately, the Hawks are in desperate need of able-bodied players at the swingman positions, and Jenkins was penciled-in for significant time, especially in the wake of Lou Williams’ delay of return due to last season’s ACL tear. Until Jenkins can hit the court, the only certain options are Kyle Korver and DeMarre Carroll, and that isn’t a tremendous place for any NBA team.