Is Trae Young playing tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 5 of the 2021 NBA Playoffs Round 2?

Trae Young tied his career-high of 18 assists in Game 4 of the Atlanta Hawks' semifinal series against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night as his side evened up the contest 2-2. Despite scoring 25 points, Young's shooting was unusually off on the night with his shoulder taped up prior to the game.

Coach Nate McMillan admitted after the game he knew nothing of Trae Young's discomfort in his arm, though the player downplayed the severity.

“I got hit last game and it got a little sore the past couple of days. For me, it wasn’t a bother. It was just fighting through it, knowing it was sore, trying to keep it warm throughout the game, that is pretty much what it was,” said Trae Young.

Ahead of Game 5 on Wednesday night, all eyes will be on the Atlanta Hawks starlet's shoulder to see if it has a negative effect on his impact in the matchup. At the time of writing, the franchise's social media accounts have listed the point guard as probable for the fixture.

An @emoryhealthcare injury report for tomorrow’s game: Trae Young (right shoulder soreness): ProbableBrandon Goodwin (minor respiratory condition): OutDe’Andre Hunter (right meniscus tear): Out Cam Reddish (right Achilles soreness): Out pic.twitter.com/eWMvueZ5FT

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) June 15, 2021

How important is Trae Young to the Atlanta Hawks' NBA Playoffs hopes?

Trae Young absolutely smoked the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs

Trae Young didn't take long to settle into NBA Playoffs life in his first postseason since entering the league in 2018. In the Atlanta Hawks' first-round series against the New York Knicks, Young averaged 29.2 points and 9.8 assists, silencing the hostile Madison Square Garden crowd - which not many before him have done.

Facing a stiffer defense against the Philadelphia 76ers currently has not fazed the young star either. The 22-year-old has increased his distribution, averaging 11.8 assists per night in the series so far and has poured in an average of 27.3 points in four games.

This brings into question Trae Young's availability and how important it would be for the Atlanta Hawks were he to miss out or even be hampered by shoulder soreness. Although he downplayed the severity, having tape around his shooting arm is not a good sign for the Hawks' main source of points and offensive threat.

Trae Young ❄️ 25 Points18 Assists 2 Turnovers Series tied 2-2 pic.twitter.com/P5UV5Ubjyh

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) June 15, 2021

The Atlanta Hawks do have several sources of points, though, which could take the onus off Trae Young. Bogdanovic, Gallinari, Collins, Huerter and Capela are all averaging over 10 points a game in the series, with the latter three all shooting above 54% from the field.

They will need to step up if Young cannot compete at the high standards he has already set for himself. In Game 4, he shot 0-5 from the field in the first quarter and went on to finish 8-26. Nevertheless, there is little doubt Young will fight until the end and has the added ability as a facilitator which coach Nate McMillan can turn to if he has another poor shooting night.