Lou Williams Injury: Hawks Guard out for Season with Torn ACL
Atlanta Hawks guard Lou Williams is out for the season with an ACL tear that will require surgery.
The Atlanta Hawks confirmed the injury on their official Twitter account:
"Lou Williams is out for the season with a torn ACL.Here's the full report:on.nba.com/YfIcT4 #ATLHawks
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 19, 2013"
Williams hurt the knee last night against the Brooklyn Nets in the second quarter. As he drove to the basket, Williams' knee gave out without contact. He played 10 minutes in the game before getting injured, registering a steal and no points.
There is no timetable until after surgery, but based on other ACL injuries, Williams is looking at returning right around the start of next season. Williams is under contract with the Hawks for the next two seasons.
The Hawks will certainly miss Williams, who provided them a nice lift off the bench. The Hawks will need to replace Williams' averages of 28.7 minutes, 14.1 points and 3.6 assists per game. John Jenkins, Kyle Korver and the combination of Jeff Teague and Devin Harris will be called upon to fill the void.
This could spur the Hawks to make a move with the trade deadline approaching. Josh Smith has been long linked to a possible trade out of Atlanta. One possibility is using him as bait to bring in another guard to fill the void left by Williams' injury.
The Hawks, currently sixth in the Eastern Conference, will be tested without the shooting guard. They play five games in the next eight days. With multiple teams looming right behind, they run the risk of falling quickly in the conference.
