Atlanta Hawks: Comparing Rookie Trae Young & Kevin Huerter to Stephen Curry & Klay Thompson

Huerter & Thompson Conclusions, Overall Thoughts

Though Thompson’s brilliant three-point shooting could certainly be one direction Red Pepper takes his career for the Atlanta Hawks, Huerter already seems to be a more well-rounded player than Thompson is.

A simple gander at both players’ BBall Index numbers showcases the fact that Huerter’s impressive all-around impact on the Atlanta Hawks might surpass Thompson’s waning defense sooner rather than later.

Though Huerter’s offensive player impact plus/minus of 0.2 was less than Thompson’s 0.9, Huerter ranked higher in defensive player impact plus/minus (-0.6 vs. -1.7) as well as overall player impact plus/minus (-0.2 vs. -0.8).

If Huerter is able to become more of a threat off the dribble next season as well as become more of a lockdown defender, the Atlanta Hawks might’ve uncovered a diamond in the rough at #19 overall – and a player that might be a more useful addition to the Hawks’ team construct than anyone could have foreseen.

There you have it. Though it’s early days in the careers of Trae Young and Kevin Huerter on the Atlanta Hawks, both players have started off strong and compare favorably to their oft-stated superstar-alikes in Steph and Klay.

Of course, if either Hawks’ rookie truly lives up to that potential, the Atlanta Hawks can look forward to multiple NBA Finals appearances and championships in the near future. A fan can dream, right?