Atlanta Hawks: 1 stud and 1 dud from the season opener

Atlanta Hawks stud from season opener: De’Andre Hunter proved his two-way worth

Third-year forward De’Andre Hunter finished with a fairly modest stat line. He had 11 points, which tied him with Bogdanovic for fifth on the team. He also snagged three boards, had one assist, one steal, and was another member of the two-block club (Gorgui Dieng was the fourth member).

Hunter shot just 45.5 percent from the floor and went just 1-of-3 from downtown. He too utilized a big quarter to score the majority of his points, scoring seven on 3-of-4 shooting in the third.

When all was said and done, though, none of that is really why Hunter is the stud of the opener.

Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic finished with only 18 points and shot just 35.3 percent and was 2-of-7 from beyond the arc. He managed 11 rebounds and seven assists. But he also turned the ball over five times.

Hunter was his primary defender and his presence certainly paid off. In four previous games, Doncic averaged 25.0 points, 9.3 boards, and 8.0 assists.

This is a big year for Hunter as he tries to earn the kind of investment his teammates have received in recent days and months. Young, Collins, Capela, and Kevin Huerter have all received new money worth up to a whopping $443 million combined.

Last season, Hunter averaged 15.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists which would put him on par with Huerter, save for the durability questions. A healthy season filled mostly with performances like the one he put on in the opener and Hunter should be in a Hawks jersey for a very long time.