The Atlanta Hawks came into the 2025-26 season with. lot of intrigue surrounding them thanks to the addition of Kristaps Porzingis and a number of young wings who were expected to improve. In an Eastern Conference that is depleted with the injuries to Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, Atlanta was one team who came into the year with a chance to compete for one of the top spots.
However, all of that can only come together if star point guard Trae Young stays healthy. Unfortunately for the Hawks, Young went down with a knee injury on Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets. He did not return to the game, which the Hawks were able to win 117-112, with what the team called a right knee sprain.
The team is hoping that it isn't a more severe injury than just a sprain, which would keep him out for a matter of weeks, not months. However, Young will undergo an MRI on Thursday to determine the full severity of the injury, according to NBA Insider Chris Haynes.
This win gets the Hawks to 2-3 on the season, and Young hasn't gotten off to the best start in his first four games before going down with the injury on Wednesday. Coming into this game, he was averaging just 20.8 points per game on 36.4% shooting from the field and 19.2% from 3-point range. However, he was still up at 9.5 assists a night and was still the table-setter for everything this Hawks offense.
Porzingis is leading the team in scoring at more than 23 points per game coming into this one, but he has played just three out of five possible games due to an illness. That was one of the concerns with him coming into the year, and it has already appeared early in the season.
If Young is forced to miss extended time, and it looks like he will be, expect Nickeil Alexander-Walker to handle a lot of the point guard duties. Keaton Wallace and Luke Kennard will also see extra time in the backcourt. Whether they can do a good enough job to keep Atlanta afloat without its star remains to be seen, but that is the task at hand until Young gets back.
