Trae Young returns from MCL injury against Hornets
The Atlanta Hawks have remained afloat for most of the season without Trae Young, after suffering an MCL sprain at the end of October. He’s been out since then, but it looks like the star guard will be around making his return on the floor against the Charlotte Hornets, according to ESPN’s Shams Charani.
“Atlanta’s Trae Young — out since Oct. 29 with a sprained MCL — will return tonight against the Charlotte Hornets, sources tell ESPN. The Hawks went 13-9 without Young and now get their starting point guard back,” Charania wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
This is a big move for the Hawks, as they will add a legitimate scorer as well as one of the best playmakers in the league. Without Young, the Hawks led the league in assists, and it should only get better with Young back in the lineup.
Without Young, other players had to step up in his absence, and they did just that. Jaylen Johnson is the player who has taken the reins as the main point guard for the Hawks, and he has delivered. He is averaging 22.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 8.2 assists this season, and appears to be a first-time All-Star.
Things shouldn’t change for Johnson when Young returns, and if nothing else, it should take the pressure off him when you look at the responsibility he’s had over the last month.
The Hawks are almost back to full health, but still waiting for Kristaps Porzingis to returnas he was sidelined for the next two weeks due to illness. It appears that it may be a recurrence of POTS syndrome, which he dealt with when he was with the Boston Celtics last season.
Even without Porzingis, the Hawks still played well.
2025-12-18 21:06:00
