Hawks reserve center Landale sidelined for start of series against Knicks
ATLANTA — Atlanta Hawks center Jock Landale will be sidelined for at least the initial two weeks of the NBA playoffs due to a sprained right ankle.
During the regular season, Landale averaged 9.1 points and 4.1 rebounds across 23 games with Atlanta. He suffered a high ankle sprain on April 1 against Orlando. The Hawks have indicated that he “is making progress in his rehabilitation” and “will undergo re-evaluation in approximately two weeks.” An update is anticipated following his re-evaluation.
Atlanta holds the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and will commence its first-round series against the third-seeded New York Knicks on Saturday.
The Hawks addressed their center depth issues — Kristaps Porzingis had been largely unavailable throughout the season before being traded in February to the Golden State Warriors, and N’Faly Dante is out for the season — by acquiring Landale from Utah for cash considerations in early February. He did not play for the Jazz and was with the team for less than a day after being part of an eight-player trade involving Memphis.
The 30-year-old Landale recorded averages of 11.3 points and 6.5 rebounds in 45 games for Memphis.
The Australian is currently in his fifth season in the NBA. He made his NBA debut with San Antonio during the 2021-22 season and has also played for Phoenix and Houston.
