The Atlanta Hawks, in desperate need of a big man to defend the paint, signed veteran Erick Dampier to a 10-day contract.
The team announced the deal Thursday, hours after the Hawks ended a three-game losing streak – all at home – with a win over Indiana.
All-Star Al Horford may miss the rest of the regular season with a torn pectoral muscle. Initially, Atlanta seemed OK without him, winning nine of its first 11 games without its starting center.
But then Jason Collins – who does nothing but play solid low-post defense – went down with an elbow injury that will shelve him for at least two weeks. That left the Hawks with big options of Zaza Pachulia, who doesn’t defend, and rookie Ivan Johnson, a Reggie Evans clone who plays very hard but is a power forward.
In losses to Memphis and Philadelphia, Atlanta was outscored a combined 112-76 in the paint.
Dampier should be able to help hold the fort until Collins gets back. He is a member of the celebrated 1996 draft class and has played 972 games with Indiana, Golden State, Dallas and Miami, averaging 7.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks.