Experience Pays Off For Hunter In Career Night

The rookie played the best game of his young career against the Bucks. Where can De'Andre Hunter go from here?

The way De’Andre Hunter played against the Bucks overshadowed just how difficult it is for a rookie to step into an NBA offense and immediately be relied upon. Many players his age have the luxury of simply fitting in, letting the game come to them while others carry the bulk of the burden. Atlanta needs Hunter to be more assertive than that, bring the fight to the opponent. And against one of the league’s top defenses, he methodically worked his way to the best game of his career.

The rookie finished with a career- and team-high 27 points and 11 rebounds, and displayed an uncommon steadiness for someone playing just his 14 NBA game. Nothing about Hunter’s involvement was incidental. He was intentionally featured as he curved diligently around screens, stepped into open jumpers, and forcefully challenged Milwaukee’s rim protectors. Most importantly, he gave Atlanta a much-needed secondary weapon next to Trae Young. “I’m a skilled guy,” Hunter said. “I can handle the ball, I can shoot it. So just having space and being able to create opportunities for other players and myself helps the offense a lot.”

The first thing that stands out about Hunter’s game is his patience. He never seems to be in a rush, and while a defense may take away his driving lanes or force him into tough spots, it won’t speed him up. That ability to work under control is quite useful for a team hampered by injuries, turnovers, and inadequate playmaking. Given how few Hawks can capably pass, dribble, and shoot at the moment, Lloyd Pierce has been forced to sacrifice at least one of the three when balancing his rotation. Hunter could make it so he doesn’t have to. The forward isn’t an elite shooter, playmaker, or ball-handler, but can do all three dependably enough to keep an offense humming. Atlanta has scored 13.3 more points per 100 possessions with Hunter on the floor, and the full breadth of his game was on display Wednesday. He comfortably roved into the midrange, where the Bucks conceded open jumpers:

When Milwaukee continued ducking under screens, he stepped into easy pull-up 3s:

Hunter worked in the pick-and-roll more often than he has in any game this season and showed no hesitance challenging Milwaukee’s bigs, who like to drop back and barricade the rim. “They were playing really in centerfield,” Hunter said. “Brook Lopez was basically at the rim, so I just create a full head of steam and just go to the basket.” He’ll need to strengthen and diversify his finishing at the rim, but Hunter consistently gets downhill and puts pressure on defenders. He attempted nine free throws against the Bucks, and the wrong-foot, right-handed extension off the glass has become a prominent shot in Hunter’s arsenal:

Nearly 26 percent of Hunter’s shots this season have come out of the pick-and-roll, and he’s averaging 0.84 points per possession on those plays. That places him right around the league average – a tidy mark for a rookie. He’s still learning to manipulate defenses and read coverages – hence a fairly poor assist-to-turnover ratio – but the contours of a solid secondary playmaker have begun to take shape. After he finished over Robin Lopez and earned a trip to the line on consecutive possessions, the Bucks began to collapse harder on Hunter’s drives, freeing him to spray the ball to open shooters:

In the absence of John Collins, Pierce has tried alternative pick-and-roll combinations with Hunter acting as a screener, where he can pop to the 3-point line or meander to the basket depending upon a defense’s reaction to Young:

Milwaukee isn’t particularly inclined to switch those actions, which gave Atlanta momentary advantages with either Young moving downhill or Hunter working in space. Should opponents elect to switch smaller defenders on Hunter, the Hawks have no issue simply clearing a side for him to post up:

Players shouldn’t be judged by their best or worst days, and therefore expectations should be tempered for Hunter. He remains, by NBA standards, a below-average offensive player and won’t be able to consistently replicate the scoring volume or efficiency he posted Wednesday night. Even in that magnificent performance, there were moments when he seemed overly tentative, and the coaching staff has implored him to be more assertive both with the ball and with his voice. “‘Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, don’t be afraid to say things and be wrong,’” Pierce tells the rookie. “I think he’s cautious of making mistakes and tries to avoid them. So he’s just a reserved, silent, quiet guy anyway. But it’s hard to be an elite player without having a voice.”

The greatest separator between NBA stardom and mere adequacy is consistency. Hunter discovered that firsthand over the last week, defending Paul George, LeBron James, and Giannis Antetokounmpo while struggling at times with his own offense. “I thought on the road trip he played well and he missed a lot of shots that were similar to tonight – in rhythm, on balance – that didn’t go his way,” Pierce said. “So the basketball gods always balance you out a little bit.” A young player can’t help but learn from that experience, and the ever-patient Hunter is finally reaping the benefits.