Deadspin | Trae Young-less Hawks return home for Magic rematch

The Atlanta Hawks are set to return home after a three-game road trip to face off against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday. However, they'll be without their all-star guard Trae Young, who suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee on October 29. Young is expected to be sidelined for at least four weeks, with a re-evaluation scheduled in a month to better determine his recovery timeline. Despite his injury, the Hawks managed a victory against the Indiana Pacers on Friday but fell short against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, losing 117-109. In Young's absence, offseason acquisition Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been stepping up, filling Young's spot in the starting lineup. Alexander-Walker has put up solid numbers, scoring 21 and 16 points in the games he’s substituted for Young. Atlanta’s head coach Quin Snyder emphasized the importance of team cohesion during this period, noting that many players are adjusting to new roles and positions. "I think that collectively, we need to be more connected and that will help us," Snyder said. "A lot of guys are in new spots, new positions, new roles. They need help with each other and they’re aware of that." While Young has been a consistent scorer, putting up over 20 points in three of the first four games, the Hawks have felt his absence more in terms of his floor presence and playmaking abilities. Guard Luke Kennard highlighted Young's impact beyond scoring, saying, "With Trae, he attracts so much attention when he’s on the floor. He can create advantages for us just by holding the ball. With his presence out, we just have to continue to play the right way and play together." On the other side, the Orlando Magic are finishing up a five-game road trip, having won their last two matchups, including an impressive 125-94 win over the Washington Wizards. That game marked the first time the Magic held an opponent under 100 points this season. Orlando forward Franz Wagner pointed out the team's ongoing focus on defense, adding that there is still plenty of room for improvement on offense. Magic star Paolo Banchero, averaging 23.3 points per game, urged patience despite the rocky start to the season. "You didn’t want to start the season as we did, but at the same time, it’s really early so you can’t overreact," Banchero said. "You can’t start going away from each other and everyone start pointing fingers. It’s too early. And we’ve got guys that have been in the league long enough to know that this is a very long season." Banchero has been a strong performer for Orlando, scoring over 20 points in six of their seven games, including a 28-point outing against Washington. Historically, Banchero has averaged 24.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 11 games against the Hawks. Tuesday’s game will be the second of four encounters between these teams this season, with Atlanta winning the first meeting 111-107 back on October 24 in Orlando. The teams split their season series evenly last year, going two games apiece.