The amount of atrocious luck the Hawks have had to begin this season is borderline laughable. From injuries to suspensions and everything in between, Atlanta has yet to have their team at full strength. And that finally looked to be around the corner when John Collins returned from his suspension at the end of December.
But right when he came back, Trae Young went down with another ankle injury. Luckily, like the last one, it was not deemed serious. He has missed two games, but according to Ben Ladner of SI.com, he will return Friday night against the Celtics.
Trae Young will play against the Celtics tomorrow, per Lloyd Pierce. He has missed the last two games with a sprained right ankle.
— Ben Ladner (@bladner_) January 2, 2020
If there is a glass half full way to look at Young’s absence over the last week, it’s that the Hawks might have finally found a backup point guard. In Monday’s win over the Magic, Lloyd Pierce gave Brandon Goodwin an opportunity, and he made the most of it, scoring 21 points and dishing out six dimes in just 22 minutes. Given his background, this could be nothing more than a flash in the pan, but the Hawks are desperate, and he’s deserving of a few more chances as the backup once Young returns.
Atlanta is now 7-24, firmly cemented as the worst team in basketball – far from where they expected to be at this stage. However, a lot of that is due to unfortunate circumstances.
No, the Hawks will not be making the playoffs, but getting the opportunity to see this team grow and gel together in the second half of the season is plenty enough reason to stay tuned. Let’s hope they can give the Celtics a run for their money in Young’s return tomorrow.