The Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young will not play in the NBA Cup’s opener tonight against the Indiana Pacers due to a right knee sprain.
Young’s injury happened during their clash against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday when teammate Mouhamed Gueye accidentally fell backward into his leg, then immediately grabbed his knee and exited the game after playing for seven minutes.
As he had undergone an MRI on Thursday, he was not expected to play tonight, as Atlanta had held him out for recovery despite no update yet.
The Hawks relied on Young significantly as their system revolves around him, considering he was the team’s leader early this season.
The four-time NBA all-star averaged 17.8 points, 7.8 assists, and two rebounds with 27.8 minutes per game.
Atlanta without Ice Trae
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is also expected to step up for the team, considering being one of the main supporting contributors for Young.
Walker had a stellar performance in his previous games despite losing three times, as he averaged 16.2 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 40.8% from the field.
Since the guard depth of the Hawks was not that deep, Luke Kennard will be expected to increase his minutes off the bench.
The NBA Cup opener matchup was not alarming for the Hawks, as the Pacers also struggled to find their groove; they currently have a 0-4 win-loss record.
Ultimately, the Atlanta still has Jalen Johnson and Kristaps Porzingis, who both average 20 points per game, which might take over on their offensive system and lead the team to win games.
