Virginia hoops alum De’Andre Hunter will miss the remainder of the 2021 NBA playoffs, as the Atlanta Hawks confirmed today that he will need to undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his balky right knee.
The right knee has been a problem for Hunter, a 2019 UVA hoops alum, since January, when he was first treated for right knee soreness that caused him to miss 46 regular-season games this season.
Hunter, who averaged 15.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game for the Hawks, and is often assigned to guard the opponent’s top perimeter threat, did return for Atlanta’s first-round series with the New York Knicks, averaging 10.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, while helping hold Knicks star Julius Randle to 18.0 points per game on 29.8 percent shooting, well off Randle’s season numbers of 24.1 points per game and 45.6 percent shooting from the floor.
Hunter had missed the first two games of the Hawks’ series with the top seed in the East, the Philadelphia 76ers, and his presence was missed.
“We absolutely miss him. We certainly are a better ballclub when he’s out on the floor with us, because he just does so many things,” Hawks coach McMillan said of Hunter after Atlanta’s Game 2 loss in Philadelphia on Tuesday. “Not only can he defend multiple positions, but he’s also an option on the offensive end of the floor.”
Story by Chris Graham
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