Atlanta Hawks: Kevin Huerter Bulked Up This Offseason

A quick piece detailing Atlanta Hawks sophomore Kevin Huerte’s offseason training regiment, which involved a lot of time in the weight room.

Kevin Huerter of the Atlanta Hawks was a surprise success in his first year in the NBA, and he ended up being named to the All-Rookie Second Team, much like his #19 overall pick predecessor John Collins.

To nab Huerter at #19 overall already seems like a tremendous steal, as he went behind players such as Jerome Robinson, Troy Brown and Donte DiVincenzo, who did not look particularly impressive during their rookie campaigns.

Red Pepper, on the other hand, slid into the Hawks’ starting lineup fairly early in the season as Kent Bazemore opted to step aside and allow the young gun to nab his starting spot. Once Huerter stepped into the starting role, he quickly gained confidence in his game and became an extremely reliable player on both ends of the court.

Now, after his first offseason as a professional, Huerter has returned to Atlanta Hawks training camp weighing 10 pounds more than he ended last season in an attempt to get stronger and become more of a threat going towards the basket.

Kevin Chouinard of NBA.com had Huerter’s comments on Twitter:

“Kevin Huerter said that he emphasized getting stronger in the weight room for the first half of the summer and finishing through contact in the second half. Huerter added that he ended last season at 194 lbs. and that he weighed in for this preseason at 206. Said he feels stronger.”

This is promising news for the 21-year-old (who just had his birthday in August), as he was obviously slender last year and had trouble dealing with the strength that the NBA is chock-full of.

Now, with some added bulk, expect Huerter to be able to power through contact more than he did in his rookie year, which is just what he needed to improve upon this offseason.