Kevin Huerter Cold Shooting Shouldn't Worry Hawks Fans
On the eve of the new season, the Atlanta Hawks and Kevin Huerter agreed to a four-year, $65 million contract extension. All of Atlanta was overjoyed that Huerter would never hit restricted free agency. Even Hawks haters couldn't criticize the team-friendly deal.
'Red Velvet' played out of his mind throughout the playoffs last spring. Following the breakout performance, Huerter spent the shortened offseason rehabilitating a left ankle injury that required surgery. Nevertheless, he set lofty expectations for himself, including shooting 40% from three in the 2021-22 season.
Huerter could still hit that benchmark, but he's digging himself into a hole to start the season. Through five games, Huerter is averaging 5.2 points on 29.7% from the field and 11.1% from behind the arc. The advanced stats on offense are not much better, with a 34.3% true shooting percentage and 32.2 effective field goal rate.
Shooting slumps happen. Ask Russell Westbrook; he's been stuck in one since he entered the league. Unlike the Lakers guard, Huerter is a career 37.3% shooter from three. What's going on right now is a statistical outlier - an anomaly that will average out over time. For example, after Ben Simmons makes a free throw, he is more likely to miss the next few as his average regresses towards the mean.
Through the first five games, Huerter's minutes are way down from last year - 21.8 compared to 30.8. When Huerter is on the floor, he's taking a career-low number of shot attempts (7.4), while teammate Cam Reddish is taking a career-high 12.4 attempts per game. Those factors are not conducive to getting a shooter going.
Of course, this is a small sample size. And we are talking about the NBA, where news from two weeks ago feels like ancient history. In each of Huerter's previous three seasons, he's adapted to a new role. This season will be no different. Most fans will not remember this cold spell the next time Huerter catches fire for an extended streak.
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