DeAndre Hunter emerging as a future 6MOY?

[Jamaaliver]

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1. This is a really good find. Thanks for posting.

2. I wish they'd use full names; most of these dudes aren't famous/ubiquitous enough to get the one name treatment.
(Who the heck is DDR?!?)

[jayu70]

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1. This is a really good find. Thanks for posting.

2. I wish they'd use full names; most of these dudes aren't famous/ubiquitous enough to get the one name treatment.
(Who the heck is DDR?!?)

Demar DeRozan

[Jamaaliver]

IDK how to feel about D Hunter's prospects of improving moving forward. He's already fooled me with his start to the 2021 season. Then injuries...then the return to passive, timid play.

Is he finally ready for a big jump thanks to Quin's system and coaching staff actually committed to developing players.

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[Jamaaliver]

Wes...is not a strong writer. PTH has lost a ton of talent the last few years.

De’Andre Hunter and the uncomfortable path forward

De’Andre Hunter will turn 26 this December, but he has yet to put together the same professional résumé as Collins, who looked to be on the path to 20-and-10 type of production in his prime. Although ‘Dre’ has been a solid shooter spacing the floor in the spread pick-and-roll scheme in his four years in the league, his rebounding and creation for others remains well short of league average wings and forwards in today’s NBA. Most alarmingly, Hunter’s +/- from when he’s on versus off the court on a per 100 possession basis has been at least a point and a half below water in each of the past two seasons.



So, what is the path forward for De’Andre Hunter?

He now has as much competition on the wings as he’s ever had since being drafted. Bogdan Bogdanović remains a proficient shooter and ball handler. Saddiq Bey acquitted himself well after coming over from Detroit midway through last season. Second year standout player AJ Griffin is looking to make a sophomore leap.

Hunter stepped into his role with the Hawks in the middle of a rebuild as the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He has started 200 of 206 regular season games since. In those 206 games, he averaged 31.1 minutes per contest as the number one option at small forward for the four years he's been with the Hawks. But if Hunter struggles early this upcoming season with viable options behind him on the bench, his playing time may truly be in jeopardy for the first time in his career.

The four-year, $90 million base contract extension with incentives he signed last summer kicks in this season, and thus far his play has yet to warrant that price tag. The Hawks desperately need his wing and point-of-attack defense in certain matchups, but most advanced defensive metrics suggest his overall impact — and even his defense — has slipped in recent years. Per Basketball-Reference’s query tool Stathead, Hunter was one of six players — and one of just three non-rookies — with a Box Plus/Minus of -3.0 or less and a Defensive Box Plus/Minus of -1.0 or less in 2022-23.



It is, of course, possible that with the absence of Collins, Hunter can and/or will play a lot more of his minutes at the 4 than ever before. In a reduced role where his spot-up shooting can be prioritized, that spacing effect can force defenses to stay home on Trae Young and Clint Capela pick-and-roll actions, for example. Questions may then arise about his ability to guard other big forwards or rebound at a higher clip, but in the short term one could do a lot worse in a stopgap power forward.

So this all brings the Hawks to an uncomfortable crossroads: on a team light on perimeter defense, can the Hawks afford to move Hunter? Or can they afford not to pull the trigger on any deal for pure salary relief in the same vein as the Collins deal?

Should the franchise continue to prioritize “financial flexibility” in an effort to avoid the luxury tax line, the Hawks may have no choice but to move Hunter for minimal in return and promote players like Griffin and Bey in his place. Either direction brings some unease, but in my view with a clearer vision this regime under new head coach Quin Snyder and relatively new general manager Landry Fields, now is the time to make a bold move and avoid complacency.

Pechtree Hoops

[jayu70]

If Hunter can add some more versatility to his offense....

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[Jamaaliver]

DeAndre Hunter is the most unspectacular pro basketball player I've ever seen.

He really is a Jack of All Trades/Master of None kind of guy.

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[D21]

... with a -22 Plus/Minus, worst of the team, exactly like when he scored around 30pts Vs MIA in 2022 first round and everybody acted like he should be absolutely kept.
I like Dre's game and potential, but since he came back from his last injury, there's no intensity like it was the cas before the NYK first round in 2021, he just play like his first goal is to not be injured again
If each time that he scores more than usual, he doesn't play defense, it makes no sense from a team POV

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

That trade value is creeping up...

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[jayu70]

That trade value is creeping up...

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I see you posted a Siakam For Hunter and 2nds trade on the raptors board. Prepare to be flamed. .

They think they can get these kind of deals:

The way I see it is we either get Dejounte or we get Bufkin and Griffin.

For example:

Hunter/Bogdanovic/Bufkin/Griffin

OR:

Dejounte/Bogdanovic/Griffin

OR:

Dejounte/Hunter/Okongwu

For Pascal/Thad/Malachi.

A Hawks package of Hunter, Okongwu and Bufkins for Siakam and Flynn works.

3 team deal between Raps, Hawks and TWolves, to solve each team’s overlap: Trae to Raps, Towns to Hawks, and Pascal to TWolves

Siakam for Dejounte + Bogdanovic + SAC 2024 pick.

Just a small sampling of what they think they can get for an expiring guy looking for a max deal.

[HMFFL]

Hunters numbers have been fantastic do far. I just hope he continues to stay healthy. Have a career year young man.

Sent from my SM-N975U using RealGM mobile app

[jayu70]

This is what I want.....find ways to impact the game when your offense is off.

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[Jamaaliver]

I thought a new offensive system less heliocentric than the previous ones would benefit DeAndre.

It's clear this is simply who he is.

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[jayu70]

Good initial defense, then just gave up. Just keep him in front of you and force him to shoot long with 4 seconds left. Understand time and circumstance.

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[Jamaaliver]

He has it in him. Just isn't consistent...and can't do it when Trae is present and poppin'.

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[atlantabbq99]

If you haven't made a big leap at least by year 5, then you probably won't make that much more of an improvement in your game for the rest of your career.

This is just based on history. If you look at any NBA player's stats, you will see that year five is usually the start of a players' peak.

You can even look at Billups and Nash who were both late bloomers, but also had big leaps in production from year four to five.

[Jamaaliver]

Something I found from early in 2023...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=zXq1ybewxyo

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

Has DeAndre quietly been having a great season?!?

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