Huerter looking for big improvements in year 2

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Kevin Huerter Is Already Taking Off with the Hawks



Just over a year ago, Huerter didn’t even think he had a realistic shot at being drafted. So this—all of this—was completely inconceivable. John Sterling, the famed Yankees announcer he listened to growing up, really said his name during a Hawks-Nets broadcast back in December. He got to exchange No. 3 jerseys with his childhood idol, Dwyane Wade, at AmericanAirlines Arena in March. He shared a locker room with another legend in Vince Carter. At the age of just 21, he established himself as a major piece of ATL’s bright future.

Not bad for a year.

Huerter was taken with the No. 19 overall pick and off to Atlanta to begin his pro career. And by the end of November, he found himself permanently in the Hawks’ starting lineup. He thrived in their fast-paced, run-and-gun system alongside Young, averaging 9.7 points on 39 percent shooting from deep. Despite his laid-back personality, Huerter is assertive on the floor, especially when he’s in rhythm offensively.

Atlanta is building a new identity centered on a young group that includes Huerter, Trae, big man John Collins and 2019 lottery picks DeAndre Hunter and Cam Reddish—two versatile pieces who fit their brand of basketball perfectly.

Spoiler:

“It’s fun—being a part of it from the ground level and being able to grow up and build with everybody,” Huerter says. “Right now we have no egos, we have no bad locker room guys. Everyone is just on the stage of trying to prove themselves.”

Expect the Hawks to maintain a similar style in 2019-20, and expect Huerter’s role to expand within it.

“Hopefully playing a little bit more point guard this year, we’ve been talking about that,” he explains. “Or at least having the mindset to do that—trying to get other guys involved, put the ball on the floor and make plays.”

“I think Kevin’s game speaks for itself,” head coach Lloyd Pierce said following a recent practice. “He’s probably one of the more skilled players we have… We just want to see more. We want to see him with the basketball in his hands a little bit more. We’ve got to find ways to get him more three-point opportunities. He’s got to find ways to get to the foul line… I think his game is already multi-dimensional. We just got to get him more threes and get the ball in his hands a little bit more.”

At some point, Huerter plans to get in the gym with Wade to develop his post game. He spent the summer building strength, working on his finishing ability at the rim, and, of course, making some media appearances. That part is something he’s going to have to get more used to.

It’s unclear exactly what the next level is now, but based on Kevin Huerter’s past, one thing is certain:

He will get there. Probably faster than expected.

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One Player on Every NBA Team to Get Excited About in 2019-20

Atlanta Hawks: Kevin Huerter



Prediction: Eventually becomes Atlanta Hawks' dangerous third option

Don't sell high on Trae Young. Instead, buy more into Kevin Huerter's rookie flashes.

The Hawks just drafted two wings in the top 10, but last year's first-round pick is the team's top weapon outside of Young and John Collins.

Huerter's floor as a shooter could be 38.5 percent from three. With 6'7" size, picturesque mechanics and the ability make jump shots off movement, his shooting upside is monstrous.

But he also has untapped shot-creation and playmaking potential. He's a good ball-handler and passer, as well as a bright team defender.

Huerter went off a couple times as a rookie with 27 points against the New Orleans Pelicans in March and 29 points over the Philadelphia 76ers in January. He's going to be a dangerous third option for a rising Atlanta Hawks team likely to ask more of him in 2019-20.

Bleacher Report

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Kevin Huerter has struggled to find a rhythm, but is there reason to worry?

Spoiler:

Huerter has been working his way back from a nagging knee injury that held him out all of preseason. His knee started bothering him in May and was consistently sore all offseason. When he got to Atlanta, the soreness progressively got worse to the point that he didn’t have any confidence jumping off his right foot.

But each game he has played, Huerter says he’s felt better than the previous game. After Wednesday’s game against Chicago, Huerter said he was feeling the best he has all season, which makes him confident that the rut he has been in is going to end soon.

Pierce acknowledged before Wednesday’s game that he wouldn’t say Huerter is 100 percent back to where he would like to be but that Huerter feels better health-wise. It’s now just a matter of seeing the ball go through the basket a couple of more times.

There have been positives with Huerter so far. He has been effective when he has been the primary ballhandler in pick-and-roll situations. He’s shooting 44 percent when he has taken shots as the ballhandler in pick-and-roll, according to Synergy. He has made 6 of 10 of his attempts at the rim, according to pbpstats.com.

Cam Reddish has started in place of Huerter at shooting guard, but Reddish has had a rough start to his rookie season on offense. He’s shooting below 25 percent from the floor and 20 percent from 3. With Huerter on the floor in place of Reddish, it gives the Hawks a reliable shooter to help Young when he’s getting trapped nearly immediately when he crosses half court.

For Huerter, it has taken seven games to get going, but Wednesday looked like the start of him finally finding his rhythm.

The Athletic

[CP War Hawks]

It has to be troublesome when they don't find anything wrong with the knee since early summer, and pain still lingers. I'm still putting him under load management until he starts playing with bounce.

[Jamaaliver]

K Huert finally starting to heat up. He's avg 14 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds over his last 10 games while shooting 36% FROM DEEP.

He's also set or tied season highs in scoring 4 times in the last two weeks.

[HMFFL]

K Huert finally starting to heat up. He's avg 14 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds over his last 10 games while shooting 36% FROM DEEP.

He's also set or tied season highs in scoring 4 times in the last two weeks.

I like him having more control at times. By that I mean handling the ball more often. The future is bright!

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He's looked like a totally different player after that butt chewing from LP.

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The recent version of Kevin Huerter is ‘without a doubt’ what the Hawks expected this season



When Huerter dreamed about one day playing in the NBA, he never fantasized about being the franchise centerpiece for any organization or being the “guy.” Since John Collins’ return from suspension on Dec. 23, Huerter has shot 47 percent from 3-point range in his past seven games and has been the guy the Hawks expected him to be this season.

The goals Huerter set for himself are within reach. He’s already one of the league’s best spot-up shooters. He’s scoring 1.18 points per possession on his spot-up attempts, which ranks him in the 84th percentile, according to Synergy. And this version of Huerter, especially in the past seven games, is what the Hawks need for them to be successful. And he’s completely fine being the second or third option for Atlanta.

Since last year, the Hawks have wanted Huerter to be more physical and attack the rim with more aggression, and that’s an area where he still needs to grow. Huerter doesn’t use his length as well as he should when he’s at the rim, and instead of either banging into a body and drawing contact, he settles for floaters more often then he should.

The Athletic

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The Atlanta Hawks don’t have many wins, but when they do win games, Kevin Huerter has been a really good complement to Trae Young. Huerter has been a worthy teammate in their victories. He’s been a part of 11 of the Hawks’ 12 victories this season. Huerter’s efficiency numbers go way up in those wins than what we see in the losses he’s been involved in.

He puts up a 62.6 percent true shooting in wins, as opposed to 50.4 percent in losses. That’s because his shooting accuracy all over the floor becomes so much more accurate. His field goal percentage goes up 10.2 percentage points in wins. His 3-point percentage goes up 11.4 percentage points in victories. Basically, he just can’t miss when the Hawks are winning. Most of that damage has come in their six most recent victories. He’s averaging 19.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists while knocking down 49.4 percent from the field and 47.6 percent from deep.

The Athletic

[CP War Hawks]

It has to be troublesome when they don't find anything wrong with the knee since early summer, and pain still lingers. I'm still putting him under load management until he starts playing with bounce.

I think gaining extra weight was not beneficial for him, and his knee tendinitis was a significant result of that. He's noticeably slower from last season and still has trouble finishing. I'm under the belief he should just play at his lightest weight.

[jayu70]

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Q. What do you think of Huerter’s long-term outlook, and do you feel like he’s destined for a different role with the Hawks or elsewhere?

Yeah, I think Huerter has a great future ahead of him, but I obviously do worry about the perimeter defense next to Young. And while Huerter is the kind of terrific shooter the team should be looking for to help space the floor for Young, I’m not sure that he’s so good as to not look for potential upgrades over him. Or, in the case of Anthony Edwards, a potential complement to this backcourt. Remember, not everyone has to play together all the time. Even if Huerter plays 30 minutes, that’s still at least 18 minutes when he’s not on the floor.

In lineups with Young, the Hawks could use another option to make plays happen on the second side. Huerter is an underrated ballhandler in pick-and-roll but isn’t quite explosive enough to get all the way to the basket and finish.

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