Hawks Forward John Collins Available to Play in Game 1 vs. Heat

Hawks forward John Collins is available to play in Game 1 against the Heat after missing the last 16 games of the regular season, according to The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner.

Collins, 24, has not played since March 11 due to a plantar fascia tear in his foot and a finger injury. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported the news of Collins’ expected return earlier in the day after reporting Saturday the high-flying forward would “attempt” to play in Atlanta’s first-round series opener.

The Hawks did not list Collins in the starting lineup for Sunday’s game in Miami, instead electing to roll with Onyeka Okongwu in place of the injured Clint Capela. 

The timing of Collins’ return couldn’t be better for Atlanta after losing Capela to a knee injury in its play-in tournament win over Cleveland. The veteran big man is expected to miss substantial time despite avoiding structural damage.

Though he has dealt with injuries throughout his five-year career, Collins has proven to be an impactful player when healthy. The former first-rounder figures to play a key role as both a scorer and pick-and-roll threat for Trae Young against the Heat, barring any setbacks. 

Collins averaged 16.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game on 52.6% shooting from the field in 54 games this season.