Trae Young's Return Oddly Feels Like Good News for the Bulls Ahead of Their Two Meetings

The Atlanta Hawks got some important news in the days leading up to their two-game battle with the Chicago Bulls.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Trae Young is expected to make his return to the court on Thursday night against the Charlotte Hornets. The All-Star guard has been sidelined since Oct. 29 with a sprained MCL, which has forced him to miss the last 22 games.

Young averaged 17.8 points and 7.8 assists on just 37.1 percent shooting from the field over his first five games of the season. The new-look Hawks struggled to get off to a hot start, going just 2-3 in those matchups. One of those three losses came at the hands of the surging Bulls, who won 128-123. While Young shot only 7-22 from the field in that performance, he did finish with a season-high 17 assists on only one turnover.

Despite the win for Chicago, Young's playmaking showcase was an early-season indicator of the team's potentially fragile defense. Atlanta shot 50.0 percent from the field in that game and finished the night with five players scoring 17+ points.

Nevertheless, while Young's return may be highly anticipated, could it oddly end up being good news for a Bulls team trying to get back on track?

Trae Young expected to be good to go for Bulls-Hawks mini-series

Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks, facing the Chicago Bulls — Oct 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Tre Jones (30) drives to the basket against Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The return of someone who has averaged 25+ points over his career and has made three All-Star appearances should feel daunting. And, to be clear, there is absolutely a world where Trae Young goes full "Ice Trae" mode and dishes the Bulls two more losses before Christmas. But am I wrong for feeling slightly better about Chicago's chances against Atlanta with Young on the floor?

For whatever reason, the Bulls have found a lot of success against Young over his career. Chicago has actually beaten Young seven of the last eight times they met. Overall, the guard is a mere 8-14 when matching up against Chicago since entering the league in 2018-19.

Is some of that just random luck, especially when we consider how mediocre the Bulls have been in recent years? Sure. But the fact that they have been so successful over the past few seasons does speak to their ability to game plan for what Young brings to the table. While Young is prone to having some pretty inefficient nights, the Bulls have held him to under 40.0 percent shooting in five of their last eight meetings.

Now, I should acknowledge that Ayo Dosunmu is a big reason for that. He is 10-2 in his career against Young, and the Bulls' guard has built up a reputation for being a thorn in the side of the Hawks. Whether or not he will be on the floor, however, is a valid concern.

The guard has missed the last three games with a thumb injury. While he was questionable ahead of Wednesday night's meeting with Cleveland, it's unclear how close to 100 percent he is. Even if he does return for both games against Atlanta, there is a world where he is rather limited.

Still, it's also hard to ignore the fact that the Hawks went 13-9 without Young. It may not be some kind of world-beating record, but there have long been questions about whether this organization may be better off moving on from the high-usage guard. And these questions have only grown louder with the recent success of their younger players.

Jalen Johnson and Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks — Dec 28, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) reacts with forward Jalen Johnson (1) after the Hawks defeated the Miami Heat at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Jalen Johnson, in particular, has turned into an All-Star-caliber leader. The young forward is averaging 22.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 8.2 assists a night. His six triple-doubles have also tied him with Josh Giddey for the second-most in the NBA. Is there a world where adding Young back into the mix disrupts Johnson's hot play?

At the end of the day, this feels like a fair question for an Atlanta team that is still very much trying to figure out who they are and how to proceed. Welcoming back a superstar player like Young doesn't always immediately lead to better results. Instead, it could come with a rather significant adjustment period, which is something that could work in the Bulls' favor.

This feels particularly true after watching the version of the team that showed up at the United Center last night. Welcoming in a Cavs squad that was 3-6 in their previous nine games, the Bulls looked like their early-season self and pulled off the 127-111 upset. If they can manage to build off this momentum, these two upcoming meetings with the Hawks may not look as scary as they once did.