Will De'Andre Hunter Reclaim His Starting Position Next Season?
Yesterday we discussed Cam Reddish and his future with the Hawks. Today we are looking at his classmate from the 2019 NBA Draft - the 4th overall pick, De'Andre Hunter. Although Reddish still has plenty of upside, Hunter is the better player at this point in his career.
Much like Reddish, Hunter's 2019-2020 season was cut short, and injuries ravaged his 2020-2021 campaign. Hunter began last season in the starting lineup and even hung 33 points on the Bucks in late January. Less than a week later, he injured his knee against the Wizards and ended up missing 49 regular season games.
Hunter returned to play against the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs, where he started five games and averaged 10.8 points and 4 rebounds in just over 30 minutes per game. But things still weren't right with his knee. After missing the start of the 76ers series, the Hawks announced Hunter was undergoing knee surgery and would miss the remainder of the season.
The injury couldn't have come at a worse time for Hunter. Instead of seeing live action this summer, he has spent the short off-season rehabbing the surgically repaired meniscus. Luckily, all reports indicate that Hunter is progressing nicely and might even be ready for training camp.
But the Hawks have a deep roster with players - young and old - fighting it out for a finite amount of playing time. Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, John Collins, and Clint Capela have already locked up four of the five starting positions. That leaves Kevin Huerter, Danilo Gallinari, Reddish, and Hunter competing for a spot on the wing.
Huerter emerged as the ideal 3-and-D player in the playoffs, Gallinari is the team's second-highest-paid player, and Reddish flashed signs of brilliance in the Eastern Conference Finals.
So does Hunter have a shot at reclaiming his starting position? Absolutely. Although probably not to start the season. The 6'7 forward is switchable and often guards the opposing teams' best player. The Hawks subpar defense is stronger with Hunter on the court.
According to Cleaning the Glass, last regular season, Hunter was the small forward in the two lineups that gave up the fewest points per 100 possessions. It's a small sample size, but you can count on Hunter being on the court when the Hawks need stops.
Additionally, the NBA is going back to an 82-game schedule, and the Hawks had a historically short offseason. There will be plenty of opportunities for Hunter to start and likely close games. It's a pleasant problem to have if you are Coach Nate McMillan.
