Atlanta Hawks swingman Marvin Williams broke a bone in his left hand during practice Thursday and will be out of action for up to eight weeks.
Coach Mike Woodson said Williams, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2005 draft, suffered the injury when he swiped at a ball during a routine drill.
Marvin Williams, left, averaged 8.5 points as a rookie last season with the Atlanta Hawks.
(Gregory Smith/Associated Press)
"It's one of those freak accidents," Woodson said. "I feel for the player.
"Marvin put in a lot of time to get in this position. It's definitely a setback."
The Hawks, who open the regular season Wednesday at Philadelphia, were expecting to be back at full strength for their final pre-season game Friday night against the Charlotte Bobcats.
Guard Speedy Claxton, who broke the same bone in his left hand during a Sept. 18 workout, is ready to return after missing Atlanta's first seven pre-season games.
"We are kind of snake-bit, but that's part of our league," said Woodson. "Those are things you can't control."
Friday's game will take place in Chapel Hill, N.C., the city in which Williams played his lone college season, serving as a valuable weapon off the bench for the star-studded North Carolina Tar Heels team that won the U.S. collegiate title in 2005.
Williams would have had the opportunity to face former teammates Raymond Felton and Sean May, who now play for the Bobcats.
Considered something of a work in progress after failing to crack the Tar Heels' regular starting lineup, Williams averaged 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 24.7 minutes in his rookie season with Atlanta.
The Hawks were hoping for a big sophomore campaign from the versatile six-foot-nine Williams after he showed improved play toward the end of 2005-06 and went on to capture most valuable player honours in the NBA's Rocky Mountain Revue summer league.
With files from the Associated PressRelated
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