The Atlanta Hawks training camp is well underway. We’ve already gotten our first looks at the players in practice and gotten our first health updates. Clint Capela has yet to participate but is still expected to be ready for the start of camp. Conversely, De’Andre Hunter has been able to fully participate so far.
We also got word from Head Coach Nate McMillan that Cam Reddish would come off of the bench.
But Kevin Huerter, who said he was about 95 percent after having a procedure done on his ankle during the offseason but has practiced fully, took time out to go a little deeper.
Atlanta Hawks wing Kevin Huerter spoke of his lead guard days and much more
In an interview with Michael C. Wright for ‘My Basketball Journey’, Huerter detailed many things, including growing up playing for Shenendehowa High School, or “The Shen” where he was a 6-foot-4 point guard as a sophomore. He spoke about his time as an “athlete more than a baseball player” on the diamond.
Huerter also gave an analogy from his high school coach, Coach D, who joined the conversation, about a third nipple and hiding one’s flaws.
The analogy made sense in the moment, honest.
Along the way, the now-6-foot-7 Huerter said that he believes winning will keep the team together, that John Collins was one of many teammates who helped him settle into the league, and he also reminisced about guarding his idol, Dwyane Wade, in just his second NBA game.
One thing that Huerter said, while acknowledging the Hawks were going through more injury woes than anyone knew, was that his monster Game 7 versus the Philadelphia 76ers wasn’t by chance.
Going into the matchup, several teammates approached him and told him to shoot a lot. This included a vet like Danilo Gallinari as they knew Philly would be all over Trae Young. Young scored 21 points to go with 10 assists but shot 21.7 percent from the floor, went 2-for-11 from deep, and had six turnovers thanks to the pressure applied by Ben Simmons.
Huerter, who had 27 points to go with seven boards and three assists, shot 55.6 percent from the floor and hit 2-of-4 triples.
Mentioned during the offseason as a priority for an extension, some in league circles believe he could look for a contract similar to teammate Bogdan Bogdanovic, worth about $18 million annually.
As it stands, he is heading down a path very similar to Collins, who rejected a mid-season offer for four years and $84 million to sign one worth up to $125 million over five years this offseason. But Huerter maintains his focus on the team’s goals, noting that their success will ultimately determine his.