Will undergo hand surgery Young (finger) has a torn radial collateral ligament in the fifth finger of his left hand. He will undergo surgery Tuesday and be re-evaluated in four weeks. Impact Young suffered the injury during Friday's loss to Toronto, and an MRI on Sunday revealed a tear. Fully torn ligaments can cause chronic pain and joint instability, so undergoing surgery appears to be Young's best long-term option while not precluding an end-of-season return. Young being set for re-evaluation four weeks from Tuesday leaves 11 games remaining on Atlanta's schedule. The Hawks currently hold full control of the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference, which sets the stage for a third consecutive Play-In Tournament appearance, although ensuring a smooth recovery for Young could be a larger factor than an underdog playoff berth for Atlanta. In the meantime, Dejounte Murray will operate with a huge workload in an Atlanta backcourt that lacks depth, and AJ Griffin could also be re-introduced down the stretch.
FEBRUARY 25 • ROTOWIRE