Bruno Fernando’s improvement is bright spot in up and down season

Atlanta Hawks center Bruno Fernando (24, left) is averaging a career high in points, rebounds and minutes per game this season. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice The Atlanta Hawks are now 31-39 on the season. They are firmly entrenched in the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference standings, four games behind the Chicago Bulls and five games in front of the Brooklyn Nets. There are many reasons to consider this season another dud heading into the postseason, but there’s also the emergence of reserve center Bruno Fernando to consider. With 12 more regular season games to play, Fernando is looking like a solid reason to be positive about the future of this team.  A former second round draft pick of the Hawks in 2019, after leaving Atlanta following the 2020-2021 season, Fernando has played for the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets, and both times he has been in limited roles off the bench with the occasional spot start. This season he continues to come off the bench for the Hawks but in a much bigger way. He is averaging career highs in points per game (4.8), rebounds per game (4.2), and minutes per game (12.8).& During Friday night’s 132-91...