It’s been a downright brutal season for the Washington Wizards, as they sit 15-46 on the year and occupy the No. 13 seed in the Eastern Conference. The future may be bright thanks to some savvy in-season pickups, and Thursday could provide a sneak peek at part of that.
Ahead of tip-off against the Utah Jazz at 7:00 p.m. ET, serious anticipation is building for PG Trae Young’s assumed Washington debut. Young has missed extensive time this season due to nagging quad and knee injuries.
Let’s dive into the latest Trae Young injury update, including his PrizePicks player projections for Jazz vs. Wizards on Thursday.
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Trae Young Injury Update vs. Jazz Tonight
At long last, Young is set to play in his first game with the Wizards on Thursday night. This brings an Instagram post teasing a March 5 team debut to reality.
Prior to February’s NBA trade deadline, news broke that the Wizards were acquiring Young from the Atlanta Hawks. The shocking trade pulled Young from the only other NBA home he’s known, sending SG CJ McCollum and SF Corey Kispert to Atlanta.
Playing just 10 games for the Hawks this year, Young averaged 19.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 8.9 assists on 41.5% shooting from the field and a career-worst 30.5% from deep. Despite that, Washington aims to build a contending core around him and C-PF Anthony Davis, also traded for this winter.
Young already has one ejection as a member of the Wizards, earning it on Monday in a 123-118 loss to the Houston Rockets for leaving the bench to walk onto the court during a scuffle.
Trae Young Wizards Debut: Impact on Washington’s Rotation
Over the years, Young has established himself as a premier floor general on the offensive end. He owns career averages of 25.2 points and 9.8 assists, even leading the NBA in assists per game (11.6) a season ago. A four-time All-Star, the former No. 5 overall pick gets a fresh start.
Heavy involvement is the name of Young’s game. He boasts a career 31.8% usage rate, also pacing the sport in assist clip three separate times. Per databallr, he spent 40.7% of his time on-ball with the Hawks earlier this season, a 90th-percentile mark.
Two promising young Wizards pieces who could be impacted by Young’s return are PG Bub Carrington and SG Tre Johnson. The former spends 96% of his time at the point spot, averaging 27.7 minutes. Johnson, the sixth overall NBA Draft pick last summer, logs 71% of his time as a 2-guard and could complement Young well.
Trae Young vs. Jazz Projections, Picks
Here are some top Trae Young projections vs. the Jazz tonight, via PrizePicks.
- 13.5 Points
- 3.5 Rebounds
- 6 Assists
- 21.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- 25.5 Fantasy Score
- And More
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Make Jazz vs. Wizards Picks on PrizePicks
The Wizards don’t have a ton left to play for this season, but Trae Young’s expected return could give them a glimpse of a playoff future.
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