The Cleveland Cavaliers have struggled relative to this season’s expectations, and Cavs fans are getting frustrated with the inconsistent play of De’Andre Hunter.
Hunter was drafted fourth overall in the 2019 draft to be the star wing alongside Trae Young. He is the prototypical two-way forward at 6’7 with a 7’2 wingspan and a surprisingly strong frame, and he was the star of the 2019 March Madness-winning Virginia team. He had the tools and had proven himself a winner. The Hawks would have been fools to let him pass in the draft.
Unfortunately for Atlanta, Hunter never developed into the player we all thought he could be. His impact on the boards and on defense consistently underwhelmed despite his elite physical profile, and the advanced stats didn’t consider him an effective player until he was moved to the bench in Atlanta. He was traded to Cleveland last season, where he was kept on the bench.
Hunter has struggled in his elevated role
This season, Hunter has been promoted to the starting lineup for the Cavs with Max Strus sidelined. After only starting nine games last season between Atlanta and Cleveland, he’s started in all 21 games played this season.
The result? Cavs fans miss Max Strus.
If yall wanna laugh, Go look at the Cavs sub reddit regarding DeAndre Hunter. Their fans are complaining about how he can’t rebound, pass or defend despite his size and athleticism, and how he goes MIA scoring in half the games. Sounds eerily familiar 😭
— 🏀Hawks Fan TV (@HawksFanTV) December 7, 2025
Hunter is having his worst offensive season since he was a rookie, posting a frightening 31.1% clip from deep and a squarely below-average effective field goal percentage. While he’s on fire from two, eclipsing his final two-point percentage as a Hawk by nearly 5%, this looks like a flash in a pan.
His close-range renaissance has been led by an extraordinary 55% clip from mid range, and he is yet again a below-average wing finisher this season. Hunter has always been a good midrange shooter, but he’s bound to fall back to Earth and shoot south of 50% from middy.
The advanced stats still deem Hunter a clear negative on defense against starting-caliber players. His DARKO comes out to an even 0.0, as his poor defense outweighs any gains made by his offensive production. His block, steal, and foul rates are squarely in the bottom third of wing players, as he still is unable to apply his otherworldly athleticism to winning basketball. As a cherry on top, he’s also in the bottom quartile of small forwards in rebounds per possession.
Hunter’s impact is a shell of the impact you’d expect from a player with his physical tools and skill set. When Strus returns, Hunter will be moved to a reduced role where he can shine against lower-level competition. But unlike the Hawks’ new sixth man, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Hunter doesn’t have that “second gear” to elevate his game when his team needs him. The Hawks made the right move to get off his contract and open space for Alexander-Walker and Kristaps Porzingis.