Trae Young avoids disaster but will still miss significant time

Obviously, it’s a massive blow for a Hawks team that came into the season with so much momentum, but it’s far from the worst-case scenario, and this is exactly why they invested so heavily in depth during the offseason.

Atlanta now has a wealth of players who can handle the ball, facilitate the offense, and create their own shots — a stark contrast to previous seasons when Young was essentially the entire offense. They should be able to navigate this stretch without completely falling off a cliff. Friday night’s 128-point, 20-point win over the Pacers was proof of that.

Still, it’ll be interesting to see if the Hawks explore adding another point guard to the roster in the meantime. Backup point guard was already one of the few concerns coming into the season, and now, with Young sidelined, they don’t have a true floor general on the roster. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Luke Kennard are all capable playmakers, but none are traditional point guards, something that could become more noticeable the longer Young remains out.