He has neither the hype of Trae Young, nor the finishes of John Collins, nor the shoot of Bogdan Bogdanovic or the size of Clint Capela. Yet, on the Hawks’ strong start to the season, few players can claim to have as much of an impact as Atlanta Swiss Army Knife De’Andre Hunter.
The questions were clear this summer, during the nine long months of hiatus between the Hawks’ last game and the next one to come. Drafted in 4th position by Travis Schlenk, after having seduced in the NCAA on the side of Virginia, Hunter raised a bundle of eyebrows in the streets of Atlanta. Is this boy really a fourth draft pick? Is its potential that high? And above all, can his offensive game rise to make him an ultra-valuable weapon in the current NBA? If De’Andre’s few solid games last season made observers believe it, this year’s difficulty rookie also made a lot of people chuckle. In this case, a defensive player not yet ready to defend the monsters at his post, and an attacking game that leaves something to be desired. This first campaign was so low-key to Hunter that ahead of the new season, the most eye-catching sophomore was Cam Reddish. And at the same time, how can we not be like the others? Reddish had shown superb attacking impulses ahead of the season’s suspension, and his defensive contribution just looked better. The name of Wesley Johnson was starting to revolve around De’Andre, not quite a compliment to those who knew the course of the lanky winger drafted by Wolves eleven years ago. Which player was going to show up at training camp? The answer was seen in those first games for the Hawks.
Holder, reliable, solid, stable, aggressive in attack and even more committed in defense, De’Andre Hunter offered a glimpse of his potential and reassured his fans: yes, the nickname of Baby Kawhi was not that far-fetched. In the figures, make no mistake, the difference is not that noticeable. A little more points (14.7), a little more rebounds (6.5), assists (2.2), and big percentages at distance (48.3%), not enough to start campaigns of All-Star. However, the evolution of Hunter goes well beyond the numbers, in registers which precisely allow Atlanta to approach the future with confidence. Ball in hand, the winger progressed and the responsibilities given by Lloyd Pierce went in his direction. It is therefore no longer rare to see De’Andre attack his player towards the hoop, whereas last year it was like a miracle. Andre Drummond who takes a poster, Kyrie Irving who gets punished with Joe Harris, the Grizzlies have also had to deal with this new aggressiveness which unlocks more things for the Hawks in attack. The translation is not as obvious on the throws (2 attempted per game), but the developed game intelligence is noticeable. Therefore, when a smaller player is facing, Hunter doesn’t let go of the ball and decides to punish his opponent for underestimating him. It is this jump in attack that inevitably makes Pierce smile, a coach who has not hesitated to salute the progress of his colt and who should not hesitate for a single second to start him. Proof being, it was Bogdan Bogdanovic who was asked to squat the bench, to keep the Hunter – Reddish traction on the wings while having Collins and Capela under the hoop. Lack of spacing? The effectiveness of De’Andre at three points and in ball handling opens a new dimension for Atlanta.
Finally, in defense, the prospects announced a year and a half ago are now being observed on the ground. With his endless arms, his great mobility and a body already well developed since he is 23 years old, Hunter realized that he was going to have to get drunk the best opposing striker, in duet with Cam. Zach LaVine, Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks, Jerami Grant, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, Darius Garland and Collin Sexton, so far it’s been sweating hard to score on the outdoor duo from Atlanta who takes pleasure in passing the beautiful tasks. And therefore, for a Hawks team that was defensive filth last year, the evolution of young ally with the arrival of Clint Capela and the investment of the Young-Collins duo allows this team to defend enough to go on punish in attack (2nd offense most effective in the entire NBA). You can’t credit a single player for Atlanta’s progress in defense, but it starts above all with Hunter and Reddish finally realizing that they can get a lot of scorers drunk in this League. The sequel is therefore promising for De’Andre. Is this a warm start and confidence at the start of the season, which will soon give way to the reserved and overly timid player that we saw last year? Or do we see the course passed by a player with high potential, who realizes that he can do everything in defense while becoming lethal in attack? The answer will be known in the coming weeks. But if you happen to be watching Atlanta in the coming weeks, don’t hesitate to let your eyes hang out on number 12 with the creepers.
No alley-oop against the board, no spectacular celebration, but a player who, when he’s on the pitch, allows his team to look a lot of people straight in the eye. De’Andre Hunter season 2, we are awaiting confirmation on some very interesting first games.
