After it was initially reported that he could make his return to the court on Wednesday against the Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks All-Star point guard Trae Young will suit up and play, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder told reporters.
Young, who has missed 23 straight games after suffering a finger injury that he had surgery on to repair a torn ligament at the end of February, is set to return at the perfect time for the Hawks. Although they lost 117-111 to the Miami Heat in double-overtime on Tuesday night, Atlanta still finds themselves one game behind the Chicago Bulls for the 9-seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Hawks will be a play-in tournament team and have to earn their spot in the playoffs by winning two straight games. However, they could possibly host the 9-seed vs. 10-seed play-in game against the Bulls if they can win two of their final three games while also seeing Chicago lose two of their final three games. The Bulls own the season tiebreaker over the Hawks in the standings.
In Young's absence, the Hawks have posted a 12-11 record. Dejounte Murray has been the one player to step up, as he has averaged 24.8 points, 9.2 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game since Young's finger surgery. He recently recorded his first triple-double of the season with 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists against the Heat on Tuesday night.
With Young returning from finger surgery, the Hawks may have a new outlook entering the play-in tournament, likely as the 10-seed.
Trae Young's return
Young returning to the floor on Wednesday night against the Hornets is a significant development for the Hawks. This season has not gone as Atlanta imagined, and there has been a lot of talk throughout the season surrounding the future of the organization.
The Hawks gave up a lot to acquire former All-Star guard Dejounte Murray in 2022, yet he has been a hot name associated with trade discussions. Young has also heard his name come up as part of these discussions, which is why there is a belief around the league that one of these two guards could be moved in the offseason as Atlanta takes a step back to reset.
Young has spent all six seasons in the NBA with the Hawks, recently making his third All-Star Game in February. In a total of 51 games this season, Young has averaged 26.4 points, 10.8 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 37.1 percent from three-point range.
As a result of missing more than 17 games this season, Young will be ineligible for end-of-season awards and honors, such as making one of the All-NBA teams.
Atlanta enters Wednesday night's game against the Hornets on a three-game losing streak. To make matters worse, starting forward Jalen Johnson suffered a sprained right ankle in Tuesday night's loss to Miami, leaving his status for the remainder of the season in jeopardy.
In order for the Hawks to have any chance of advancing in this year's play-in tournament, they are going to need their stars to step up. With Young and Murray on the court together, anything can happen for this franchise.
Follow Us
Subscribe