Three Atlanta Hawks Listed in B/R’s Top Players Under Age 21 List

A Bleacher Report article included three Atlanta Hawks players in the top 10 NBA players aged 21 and under.

The Atlanta Hawks have been rebuilding their team for the last few seasons, and in this time, they have drafted lots of young talent they hope will develop into a star-studded roster. The Hawks may be young and inexperienced, but their young stars are already on a path of development that shows great potential for years to come. Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report ranked Cam Reddish, Kevin Huerter and Trae Young in the top 10 stars who are 21 or younger.

Player Breakdowns for Young Stars

Cam Reddish: Ranked 10th

Reddish fell to the Hawks in the 2019 NBA draft because he put up lackluster numbers in his lone season at Duke. In his defense, he was on a team that featured Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett and Tre Jones. He was a top recruit in high school, and the Hawks banked on his talent and potential.

He began his rookie campaign really sluggish, but over time, he began to find his rhythm and started showing the league just how talented he truly is. His numbers and productivity increased when the calendar turned to 2020. Unfortunately, the increase in Coronavirus cases and the league shutting down halted him just as he was gaining his footing.

The Hawks were better when Reddish was on the floor down the stretch. Including Reddish on this list instead of RJ Barrett may be a little controversial, but this shows that people around the NBA recognize how good Reddish can be.

Kevin Huerter: Ranked 8th

Kevin Huerter snuck into this list after two solid seasons to begin his career with the Atlanta Hawks. Huerter has been important for the Hawks’ rebuild and has started 107 out of 131 games he has played.

The biggest reason Huerter made Bailey’s list: shooting. Huerter has a career three-point percentage of 38.3% which is great for a young star. Playing alongside Trae Young has benefited him because he has a guard that can feed him the ball, however, Huerter can also create shots for himself.

Kevin Huerter has a thin frame and may never be great on defense, but he is lanky and has shown much effort on that side of the ball so far. The most underrated part of his game is playmaking. Huerter played in pick-and-roll situations well and helps alleviate for when Trae Young is not on the floor or doesn’t have the ball in his hands.

Huerter has cemented himself as a key player on the Hawks and has so much time to grow as a defender and playmaker. His shooting is already excellent, and if that can improve, the Hawks will boast a deadly backcourt from deep for years.

Trae Young: Ranked 2nd

Ranked one spot ahead of Zion Williamson and trailing only Luka Doncic on this list, Trae Young has already flashed his superstar potential to the league. In just his second season he was voted in as an all-star starter and he is the cornerstone of the Atlanta Hawks franchise as they look to build a championship roster around him.

The only true weakness to Trae Young’s game is his defense. He is one of the worst defenders in the league, but he is a terror on offense. He averaged 29.6 points and 9.3 assists this past season. He was top four league-wide in both of those categories.

Young is an elite passer and scorer already, of the best passers in the game, and his vision is superb. He is a dazzling ball handler and is a threat to score the moment he crosses half-court.

Trae Young is electric, and he is simply just fun to watch. The culture of Atlanta basketball is changing, and more fans are invested in watching the Hawks because of Young. He is poised to make several more all-star teams in the future as the franchise player for the Hawks.

Final Thoughts

This list does not include De’Andre Hunter, John Collins and Clint Capela. All three of them are young players who are important for the Hawks rebuild. The Hawks may have finished with one of the worst records in the league this season and were obviously not invited to the Orlando bubble, but the young talent on the Hawks is promising. The goal next season: playoffs. This team seems to be ready to take the next step and compete for a playoff spot next season.

Where would you rank these Atlanta Hawks on the list?