Everyone that I come in contact with always says “who’s that redheaded #3 on the Hawks? That kid can hoop!” That kid is Kevin Huerter.
When the Hawks were on the clock with the 19th pick, I didn’t know what was going to happen, and as soon as I heard Kevin Huerter’s name called I didn’t know what to think. My initial reaction was he’s another Kyle Korver, but he’s much more than that.
The Good:
9.5 PPG, 2.8 APG, 3.3 RPG
Don’t let those stats fool you because Huerter can hoop. Shooting a solid 38% from three is something that the Hawks have missed for a while. With Trae Young and John Collins, Huerter has extended himself as the third offensive option which is huge for this teams future. One of the qualities I value in him the most is he isn’t afraid to drive to the basket and certainly doesn’t care who’s trying to stop him. The number of times he’s surprised fans this season has Trae Young looking miniscule.
Huerter has started 52 games this season, sending Kent Bazemore to the bench where his minutes have fluctuated.
The Bad:
With strengths come weaknesses, and it’s fully expected as a rookie. He suffers from the free throw line at 74% on the season. He’s not much of a defender. His size is also a problem at 6’7 190 lbs. The kid still has his college
He’s stagnant at times and often takes time to speed things up. His anxious style of play leads to turnovers, and he isn’t great at timing passes. Huerter also has a tendency to play out of control at times. When he has the ball and is in pressure situations he tenses up, which is why most of his offense comes off-the-ball. It’
The Uphill Rise:
With 12 games this season above 15+, two of them resulting in 27 points against New Orleans and 29 against playoff-bound Philly, the sky’s the limit for Huerter. I hope Atlanta works around him and the young core they’ve developed the past two years.
I never anticipated Huerter doing so much in such a short period of time, given his resume. Shooting 41% from three averaging 14.8 PPG in Maryland; I can see why Atlanta took a gamble. He’s no Rookie of the Year or potential All-Star, but he fits in perfectly with what the Hawks plans are. Talk about perfect timing!
Who would’ve thought a clean-shaven kid from Maryland would make such an impact? Atlanta did when everyone laughed.