De’Andre Hunter is playing the best basketball of his career. He continued his sensational season with a 26-point masterclass in a 120-110 win over the Miami Heat.
The Hawks leapfrogged the Heat for the No. 5 seed in the east, and they couldn’t have done it without Hunter. The Sixth Man of the Year candidate scored eight points in the last seven minutes and posted a plus-minus of +15.
Hunter shot 8-for-14 from the field, staying hot for a Hawks team that has won 10 of its last 14 games. During this 14-game stretch, Hunter has led the Hawks in scoring with 22.6 points per game – all while coming off the bench. The former No. 4 pick has shot a blistering 48.9% from 3-point range with a ridiculous 68.9% true shooting mark.
While Hunter stayed hot on offense, it was his defense that Quin Snyder raved about after the win.
"During the minutes that he’s in there, he’s stabilizing on both ends of the floor,” Snyder said. “He had to guard Herro tonight with Dyson out, which is a heck of a matchup … and then he's wresting with Bam in the post. I've said it before: As a coach, he's a guy you love to have on your team. He's just a warrior, he’s a soldier."
De’Andre Hunter’s recent hot streak goes beyond his scoring numbers
Hunter may be hotter than fish grease right now, but his All-Star-level December goes beyond his scoring numbers. The sixth-year wing is a two-way menace, and he put his defensive versatility on full display against Miami.
Defending Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo in the same game is a tall task – just not too tall for Hunter. Hunter’s two-way contributions should not be overlooked amid his eye-popping offensive stretch.
Hunter is carrying himself with a different energy this season, finally fulfilling his potential and unlocking the kind of swagger this Hawks team had during its 2021 Eastern Conference Finals run.
On a December 14 episode of Draymond Green’s podcast, special guest Baron Davis pointed out a “different level of confidence” in Hunter’s game. Green and Davis singled out Hunter as the main X-factor for Atlanta’s strong season.
Hunter recently went viral for a vicious poster dunk over 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama. The Hawks may have lost that game, but Hunter won the respect of many Hawks fans for his contagious energy down the stretch of that Spurs game. Simply put, Hunter is playing like a dog right now.
DE'ANDRE HUNTER POSTERIZES WEMBY 🤯
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 20, 2024
BOTH PLAYERS RECEIVE TECHS ‼️ pic.twitter.com/thvVHIe53V
After the Heat win, Trae Young tweeted out that Hunter and star teammate Jalen Johnson should make it to the All-Star Game. Young’s tweet read: “All Star my dawgs … D Hunt and JJ!!!”
Hunter and Johnson certainly looked like All-Stars against Miami. Johnson exploded for 28 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists on 13-of-20 shooting. Meanwhile, Ice Trae finished with 11 points and 15 assists.
With Hunter and his teammates hitting their stride as a new year approaches, fans should expect a huge 2025 for the Hawks.