Kevin Huerter
Kevin Huerter by no means had a terrible season or even a bad one. In fact, his numbers this year were very similar to his rookie season. But it’s for that very reason that Huerter’s season was a bit underwhelming.
He hit the ground running after being selected 19th overall in 2018, playing solid minutes right away for the Atlanta Hawks last year. He ended up making the All-Rookie second team and looking like a more than competent backcourt companion to Trae Young.
After that very nice rookie campaign, fans were excited to see the progress Red Velvet would make in his second season. After a rough start with some injuries, Huerter eventually returned to the starting lineup in early December and played… about the same as last year.
Huerter continued to be a solid three-point sniper, especially off the catch-and-shoot. He sets his feet in a hurry, shooting off screens and on the move. His range is underrated as well and made quite a few from well beyond the arch this season.
Kevin Huerter, coast-to-within-long-range-of-the-coast pic.twitter.com/TgMiBVKcLj
— Bally Sports: Hawks (@HawksOnBally) April 3, 2019
Huerter did make some strides as a playmaker, and coach Lloyd Pierce used him as a secondary ball-handler on occasion. While he wasn’t so good to warrant a full-time change to point guard or anything, he did show a new facet of his game.
Everything else, however, was just about the same as last season. Which again, is not a bad thing. We celebrated his rookie season, and are still excited about what he brings to the team in the future.
It’s just that many were expecting that big leap that many players take from their first to second seasons. While that jump could certainly come next season or the one after, it could also mean that Huerter has already hit his ceiling as a catch-and-shoot specialist with solid playmaking and middling defense.