Dwight Howard Injury: Updates on Hawks Star's Quad and Return

Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard has been out since he suffered a quad injury on Nov. 15 against the Miami Heat.

However, he has been cleared to return.

Continue for updates.

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Howard Active vs. Hornets

Friday, Nov. 18

Howard will play against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 

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Howard Injury Details Revealed 

Tuesday, Nov. 15

Mike Conti of 92.9 The Game reported that Howard was dealing with a contusion in his left quad. 

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Howard Has Become Anchor of Hawks Defense 

Howard is the Hawks' primary offseason acquisition and replacement for Al Horford.

At his best, Howard is one of the elite centers in the league, capable of anchoring Atlanta’s interior defense and giving the team a low-post scoring option alongside Paul Millsap. Howard, an eight-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year, has appeared on the All-NBA Team eight times in his career.

He also boasts extensive postseason experience, leading the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals during his prime and appearing in 89 playoff contests coming into the 2016-17 campaign.

Howard took more of a backseat with the Houston Rockets, and his 13.7 points per game last season represented his lowest mark since he was a rookie in 2004-05. Still, he has posted double-digit rebounding totals in every season of his career and is averaging 15.2 points, 12.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game in 2016-17.

Atlanta needs Howard to be healthy if it hopes to eventually compete with the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference.