After missing more than a month of action, Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young has been cleared to resume contact and practice, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The All-Star underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his finger on Feb. 27 and has not played since Feb. 23, when he suffered the injury in a loss to the Toronto Raptors.
In 51 games this season, Young is averaging 26.4 points and 10.8 assists per game.
The point guard will look to return ahead of the upcoming play-in tournament:
Marc Stein @TheSteinLineAtlanta's Trae Young underwent finger surgery on his left hand on Feb. 27 and has said he hopes to make it back onto the floor before the regular season ends. The Hawks will play Chicago in a 9 vs. 10 Play-In Tournament game next week. <a href="">
Since losing Young at the end of February, the Hawks have gone 11-10, enough to clinch a play-in tournament berth. Atlanta is currently in 10th place in the East and is most likely looking at a matchup with the Chicago Bulls to earn a spot in the playoffs.
The Hawks have four games remaining in the regular season, and getting Young back on the court to get some in-game action before the postseason would be huge.
In Young's absence, his co-star Dejounte Murray has stepped up, averaging 26.7 points per game in March, including three 40-point performances. If Murray can continue that play with Young back on the court, the Hawks could take care of business in the Play-In and earn a spot in the playoffs.
In Young and Murray's first season together in Atlanta last year, they faced a first-round exit to the Boston Celtics. This year, if they can will their team into the playoffs, they'll be looking for a first-round upset and a deeper postseason run.
