Thursday's game between the Chicago Bulls and Hawks in Atlanta could be a shorthanded affair.
While the Bulls continue to soldier on without Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso and Patrick Williams, the Hawks Wednesday evening listed backup center Onyeka Okongwu (concussion protocol) out, starting power forward John Collins (right foot strain) doubtful and All-Star point guard Trae Young (left ankle sprain) questionable for the contest.
Young is obviously the headline name of that group, and his status is the most nebulous. In injury report parlance, the "questionable" designation typically connotes a 50/50 chance of a player being available, while "doubtful" indicates a given player is unlikely to suit up.
Young sustained the ankle sprain in the first quarter of Atlanta's loss in Boston on Tuesday, landing on Marcus Smart's foot after the Celtics guard leapt into his landing space while contesting a 3-point attempt. Smart was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul, and, after shooting his free throws, Young left the game for a time. He eventually returned in the second quarter.
If Young is indeed ruled out before tipoff on Thursday, it would be just his sixth absence of the season — and no doubt the impact would be felt.
The Hawks are 2-3 in five games without Young this season, and have a long track record of offensive struggles in his rest minutes. This season, Atlanta scores at a rate of 115.8 points per 100 possessions with Young on the floor and 105.2 points per 100 possessions with him off — for reference, the Hawks' overall scoring rate of 113.8 points per 100 possessions ranks second in the NBA, while 105.2 would slot between the 27th-ranked Rockets and 28th-ranked Magic.
But even if Young does play, the Bulls have reason to be confident in their ability to corral him. While Young boasts season-long averages of 27.9 points and 9.3 assists, and shooting splits of 45.8/37.6/89.4 percent, he's averaged 23 points and 10 assists while shooting 33.3 percent (16.7 percent from 3-point range) in three games against the Bulls.
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That includes a 14-point performance in Chicago on Feb. 24, in which Ayo Dosunmu hassled Young into a 3-for-17 shooting line, and the Bulls engineered a fourth-quarter comeback to win each team's first game out of the All-Star break 112-108.
The Bulls have already clinched the season series over Atlanta with wins in their first three meet-ups, and will be gunning for a sweep on Thursday.
UPDATE (March 3, 10:10 a.m. CT): Hawks coach Nate McMillan said Thursday morning that Young will be a gametime decision, and Collins is officially out.
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