HAWKS' HORFORD OUT, PACHULIA LIMITED VS. C'S

WEEI 850 am
By: Paul Flannery




Hawks center Al Horford has gone from "frustrated" to "70 percent" to "not likely" to "possible" and finally to "out" for their first-round playoff series with the Celtics that will begin this weekend. The All-Star center has surgery in January to repair a torn pectoral muscle and has not played since Jan. 11.

Horford told The Atlanta-Journal Constitution on Wednesday that he would miss the first round and would try to play in the second if the Hawks advance. The Hawks are also planning to be without Zaza Pachulia for the beginning of the series. Kevin Garnett's old nemesis has not played since April 13 due to a sprained left foot ligament. The Hawks have won four of their last six with Jason Collins starting at center.

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It'd almost be better if Atlanta did have homecourt for this series. We go in, win the first or even both in Atlanta, while they are so undermanned and then by the time Zaza comes back they're in deep and in Boston.

If we have homecourt then we can still go up two but they're getting stronger when they go home. I'd rather have them get stronger on the road, since they're not a good road team.

bob



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Bob and 112288

We are not exactly strolling thru the hospital as visitors. Our health is just as big a concern too!
The longer the series goes the health of both teams may improve!

beat

I say Boston in 5. Bob is right, play in Atlanta first and when Zaza comes back he's in Beantown.

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beat wrote:Bob and 112288

We are not exactly strolling thru the hospital as visitors. Our health is just as big a concern too!
The longer the series goes the health of both teams may improve!

beat

Exactly right, beat.

Home or away is less significant than our need to open with a win. Of course, more than that we'll really need to do something more like going up 2-0 specifically due to health concerns. Easy for me to write that ridiculously simplistic statement; not an easy task to actually do. Back-court advantage to us, size to them. We have momentum on our side, but we'll still need to pick up the rebounding.

I think this series stands a good chance of going the distance.

Regards

I wouldn't count out Al Horford for the entire series. His doctor did release him to play, for limited minutes, for the last regular season game. That was a couple days ago. Since then, as the initial post states, he has been all over the place as to when he can come back.

I think there is a little bit of conflict here between the team doctors and Horford and the various timelines are the result. He wants to make sure the torn pectoral muscle is truely healed and that it doesn't become an ongoing issue affecting his carreer. The doctors may lean towards the owners in this and may be saying that he is almost there, that he can go in a limited fashion.

Horford may be the kind of player that would rather wait to be 100%, because that is how he plays. He may not "feel 100%", kind of like when Tony Allen came back from his injuries. It took a while before TA really had the confidence back, even though it may have seemed like he was fine (physically speaking) to us.

Either way, I can't wait for the playoffs to begin.