Trae Young injury: “No ACL damage”
The Hawks can breathe a sigh of relief: for Trae Young, it’s only a sprain – but his absence could still weigh heavily
There was real fear in Atlanta for Young, but the worst-case scenario now seems off the table. During the 117–112 win over the Brooklyn Nets, Trae Young suffered a sprain to his right knee and left the court in the second quarter.
Coach Quin Snyder helped calm things down:
The most important thing is that it’s not the ACL. He’ll undergo an MRI in the next few hours to determine the extent of the injury
Quin Snyder
The play that caused the injury was an accident: Young was under the basket when teammate Mouhamed Gueye, pushed by Noah Clowney, fell backward onto his leg. The point guard stayed on the floor for several seconds before getting up limping and heading to the bench.
Snyder put him back in, but after just 17 seconds decided to pull him out again, realizing something was wrong:
He didn’t want to come out – he’s a real competitor. He told me, ‘give me a couple of minutes,’ but I decided to stop him as a precaution
Quin Snyder
Even though the early signs are encouraging, Young will likely have to sit out for a while. And for the Hawks – who had high hopes after an ambitious summer with the additions of Kristaps Porziņģis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard – losing their offensive leader could hurt.
When someone like Trae is out, we have to adapt and share the responsibility. We need to move the ball, play together, and find advantages through passing
Quin Snyder
With a 2–3 record after the win over Brooklyn, Atlanta hopes not to lose too much ground in the playoff race. But right now, there’s only one real priority: getting their offensive engine back healthy – without taking any risks.