Trae Young suffered a bad-looking ankle injury on Wednesday night against the New York Knicks, but the diagnosis is a positive one for the Atlanta Hawks’ star guard.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Young has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 lateral ankle sprain. The guard is expected to be able to play again once the swelling clears up.
An MRI revealed a Grade 2 lateral sprain on Atlanta All-Star guard Trae Young's left ankle, source tells ESPN. He's expected to be able to return to play once swelling and discomfort are gone. Best possible news after Wednesday night's injury at MSG.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 22, 2021
NBA injury expert Jeff Stotts said the typical recovery time for this sort of injury has been slightly over two weeks.
Re: Trae Young: The average missed time for Grade 2 lateral ankle sprains this season in the NBA has been 18 days (8 games).
— Jeff Stotts (@InStreetClothes) April 22, 2021
This is a relief, since the injury looked pretty bad when it took place, as you can see here.
The timing on this isn’t great for the Hawks, as they sit just a game above the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference. If they drop much lower, they’d be in danger of landing in the play-in tournament. However, this does make it likely that Young will be back before the end of the regular season, and almost certainly good for the playoffs.
The 22-year-old guard is averaging 25.3 points and 9.6 assists per game in 54 games this season.
