Atlanta Hawks: Is it too early to say Kevin Huerter is back?
The Atlanta Hawks have had plenty of players who have not started the season well. Unfortunately, Kevin Huerter is one of these players who has been below his best and this has not helped the Hawks, particularly on the road.
During the first four games, Huerter had a positive impact on the box score. This helped the Hawks to three wins. However, since then Huerter has only had a positive impact on the box score once, and the Hawks lost that game to the Phoenix Suns.
The bigger problem is that Huerter is not producing at the same level as he was last season. He has been a crucial member of the Hawks squad, putting in on so many levels. He announced himself in the final game of the Philadelphia 76ers Eastern Conference semi-finals series but he has been a key piece for the Hawks for so much longer than that.
What the Atlanta Hawks need from Kevin Huerter.
First and foremost, the Hawks needed Huerter to break out of his slump. Of the 11 games that Huerter has played, he has failed to score ten or more points on seven occasions. In the last game against the Utah Jazz, Huerter showed us what he was capable of with a 28 point effort, and he was unconscious from deep in the first half.
However, as we discussed last season, the benefit of Huerter is that he is such a versatile, player, or as we said last season, a true Nate McMillan type of player. He gives the team so much more than offense. He surprised many pundits last season with his defense, leading the team in steals per game.
With Cam Reddish and De’Andre Hunter returning, Huerter now has to rediscover his place on the team from a defensive standpoint. This season, Huerter has three steals in 11 games, compared to 1.2 per game last season. He is also going at 2.0 assists per game this season compared to 3.3 per game last season.
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So, why do we ask if Huerter is back? Well, he has two games in a row where he scored in double-digits. He has shown great confidence from deep during these games and has contributed in other areas as well. Is he back? Well, it is too early to say but the signs are promising.