Kevin Huerter is already historically good for the Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks have one of the best young cores in the NBA and it extends beyond just Trae Young and John Collins. Kevin Huerter has been on a different level as a player this season but it goes back way longer than that.
In the game against the Orlando Magic, Huerter was able to hit 3-of-6 from deep. On the second 3-point make, Huerter hit 500 for the franchise. This means that up until the All-Star break, Huerter had made a total of 501 of his attempts from deep in just over three and a half seasons.
To put this into perspective, this has Huerter sitting in seventh all-time on the Hawks leaderboard for 3-point shots made. In three and a half seasons, Huerter has only six players in franchise history who have made more shots from the perimeter. One of these players is his superstar point guard from the same draft in Young.
The Atlanta Hawks have needed Kevin Huerter to play his role.
Huerter is one of the players most like Nate McMillan in the league. He can’t defend at the same level but he can shoot the ball a whole lot better. He is the glue guy who keeps the team together, giving them what they need every night.
People might be surprised at how good Huerter has been from deep in a team history sense. However, when you look back at the consistent numbers of his 3-point shooting for his career, it is easy to see why he is already top-ten in the category.
In his rookie year, Huerter hit 136 attempts at 38.5 percent. Then in his sophomore season, Huerter hit 127 at 38.0 percent followed by 140 at 36.3 percent last season. It is difficult to be much more consistent than that.
This season, to the All-Star break, Huerter has hit 98 of his attempts from deep at 37.7 percent. This is going to see him make a very similar amount to the previous three seasons. While people may ask why is he not making more, and why is he not developing, Huerter has adjusted to what the team has needed each and every year successfully. That alone is a level of development.
If he keeps going at his current pace, Huerter will pass Steve Smith for sixth all-time for the Hawks this season. What is impressive about this is that Smith came to the Hawks as a veteran of the league. Huerter came in as a rookie and has shown how good he is for this team already.