Al Horford has been out since early January with a torn left pectoral muscle. His original timetable was 3-4 months and as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports, he's right on time.

There's still no official return date set for Horford, but the fact he's cleared for contact bodes well. He started practicing two weeks ago in non-contact drills.

The Hawks are currently set to make the postseason in the East as anywhere from the four to six-seed. The team has perservered through the injury to probably their most consistent player, going 29-21 without Horford. And with it looking like he'll return for the playoffs, the Hawks just got a major bump.

The question is just conditioning and rust, two things Horford will have to overcome. It's difficult to be that sharp when you've been sitting for four months. But even if it's just in a reserve role for Atlanta, having Horford makes the Hawks a much more threatening team.