The Atlanta Hawks will kick off their three-game road trip with back-to-back games against the Brooklyn Nets. The team will be playing both games at Barclays Center as the 10th & 11th seed in the Eastern Conference battle it out. The Hawks are on a two-game winning streak hoping to make it three and four with two consecutive wins over the Nets. But will the Hawks have their leading scorer and All-Star guard in the team’s lineup tonight?
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As per the official injury report of the NBA, Trae Young has been ruled out for tonight’s game against the Brooklyn Nets by the Hawks training staff. Young is listed out due to a torn ligament in his left fifth finger.
Trae Young last played for Atlanta on February 23 when the Hawks hosted the visiting Toronto Raptors at the State Farm Arena. Young played a total of 35 minutes in that game, finishing the night with 11 points, 7 assists, and 3 rebounds.
The game between the Hawks and the Raptors saw a lot of physicality but not enough calls from the officials. Atlanta Hawks head coach Quinn Snyder was visibly upset with the officials after a foul on Trae Young during the game, earning himself a technical and an ejection.
The Toronto Raptors were able to squeak by with a 121-123 victory over the Hawks. However, since then, the team has not had Trae Young in their lineup as he underwent surgery for the torn ligament in his finger, something that resulted from a defensive play he was looking to make against the Toronto Raptors.
By the looks of it at the moment, Young will likely remain on the sidelines for the next four weeks or so. Especially given that the Raptors (currently the 10th seed), were looking to make a push for a playoff spot, this is a massive loss for the franchise.
The Hawks have played two games without Young so far and have managed to win both games by a huge margin. Young has been averaging 26.4 PPG, 10.8 APG, and 2.7 RPG on 58.1 true shooting percentage this season. He was also selected for his second All-Star game appearance this season as a replacement for the injured players on the team.
How will the Hawks perform without Trae Young?
Trae Young decided to undergo surgery on his left hand’s fifth finger for the torn ligament yesterday. The 6’1 All-Star point guard even shared an update from the hospital after undergoing the procedure.
As for his return, according to Shams Charania, it has been speculated that Young won’t be returning to the floor for at least four weeks as he will have to rest and rehabilitate for his finger to heal completely.
The Atlanta Hawks are currently in the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference with a 26-32 record so far. The Hawks have been eliminated from the first round of the playoffs for the past two years.
But given the state of the team right now, it is unclear if they’ll even qualify for the playoffs this year. The Hawks have played a total of 58 games so far but they still have 24 games left on their upcoming schedule.
While Dejounte Murray has been taking the offensive load upon himself in Young’s absence, the Hawks will still need ‘Ice-Trae’ if they hope to make the playoffs or have a fighting chance if they qualify for the postseason.
Meanwhile, it will be interesting to keep an eye on how the Hawks perform without their leading scorer and franchise cornerstone. Will the team find consistent success after their two wins without Young or will their luck run out as they face the Nets, who are right on their tail in the East?
Now there’s a topic for discussion among your friends when talking hoops in the coming days.
