It’s 9th in the East vs 4th in the West this season, as the Atlanta Hawks try to reinforce their play-ins position by facing a Grizzlies team that has lost their last two games. They’re currently a .450 team under coach Quin Snyder, which might seem like mirror images of the last few seasons. But if not for guard Trae Young‘s immense contributions, they’d be worse off. Much to their dismay, his Achilles heel has not been in their favor.

Ice Trae has been managing a right Achilles tendinitis all season with a regular appearance on the injury list for the Hawks. Despite being listed as ‘probable’ for their loss against the Thunder, 19 points and 12 assists say their own story. He’s gotten three double-doubles in the last five games. He has ice in his veins. And his cold balling is on the top of Coach Snyder’s prayers list. According to ESPN, he’s been listed as day-to-day for the Grizzlies clash as well.

Trae’s the assist king. He’s averaging 23.8 points and 11.4 assists this season, with the assist count being the most in the league. Young’s been the Hawks’ go-to man since his young days after being picked up by Atlanta in the 2018 draft. Not just Snyder, but the whole of the Hawks faithful will be praying for Rayford’s inclusion in the lineup against an all-important match vs the Grizzlies.

Trae’s absence proved to bite them in the back in their NBA Cup game against the Celtics back in November. The Hawks listed him with right Achilles tendinitis on the injury report and cited the issue as the reason he was out. But further investigation proved otherwise, and they ended up fining them $100k for the fabrication.

“Following an investigation, including review by an independent physician, the NBA determined that the Hawks held Young out of a game that he could have played in under the medical standard in the (Player Participation) Policy,” the league said in a statement. They did win the game 117-116, but at what cost?

Injury woes pile on for Hawks

You just know the Hawks are in an all-hands-on-deck situation. They’re struggling to keep 9th position right now and will need a miracle to qualify for the playoffs for the 3rd season in a row. But Trae’s injury is just the tip of the iceberg, as they have another two big injury setbacks ahead of their trip to Memphis.

Georges Niang has had a hell of a season so far. His numbers have been the best it’s ever been, and that too in a struggling Hawks side. With 14.0 PPG and 4.8 RPG, while shooting with a 41.1 3pt FG%, he’s been the perfect partner in crime to Ice Trae. But an illness rules the G-Wagon out of the Grizzlies game.

As for guard Daeqwon Plowden, he was absent from the Hawks’ G-League affiliate College Park Skyhawks’s 126-108 loss to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Sunday due to a right elbow strain. His status is on a day-to-day basis as well.

It’s fair to say that Trae Young needs to be in the Hawks 5 if they have a shot at winning against the Memphis Grizzlies. With the added injury concerns of Georges Niang and Daeqwon Plowden, coach Snyder will be looking to the Iceman to get the Hawks back to winning ways.