Trae Young, the star guard for the Atlanta Hawks, has already been ruled out for Wednesday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets. The 26-year-old has been placed on injured reserve with a right knee sprain. The unusual play that caused the injury occurred late in the first quarter. Mouhamed Gueye unintentionally landed on Young’s leg after being shoved into him by Nets forward Noah Clowdy. This unfortunate incident is a troubling sign for the Hawks as they are forced to deeply lean on Young’s contributions, both on and off the court.
Young, who just celebrated his 27th birthday last week, has clearly positioned himself to be one of the top-tier players in the league. On the field, he’s a four-time All-Star. Last year, he was the undeniable king of the dimes with a league-leading 11.6 assists per game, a career high. Before the injury, Young was absolutely unstoppable. His 20.8-point and 9.5-assist per game averages this season put him as the top player in his conference.
The accident occurred when Young was planted on the court under the basket when Gueye lost his balance and fell backwards into Young’s left leg. After the violent collision, Young was on the court floor, writhing in pain. In an interview, he recalled that he ultimately forced his way on and bounced over to the bench during a timeout. At first he tried to play through it after the halftime break but on the very first possession he knew he needed to mentally check out.
Upon recognizing the serious nature of the injury, he quickly rushed back to the locker room. A few minutes later, the Atlanta Hawks announced that Young would not be returning for the remainder of the game. Initial news of this nature undoubtedly had fans and teammates alike concerned for his health.
An MRI will likely come next to determine the full severity of the injury. The result should be deeply informative for Young and the Hawks. They’re counting on his playmaking skills and scoring talent as they claw and scratch through the season.
Young is well-known to frequent listeners of The Hoop Collective podcast hosted by Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon. There, he discusses many different basketball subjects and opens up about his life in the pro league.
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