Like most Hawks fans, I was pretty content with the moves the team made during the offseason. Most notably, they acquired Dejounte Murray, giving them arguably the best backcourt in the entire league. So far, the results have been promising. The Hawks sit at 9-6 — third in the Eastern Conference — and should be even better once Bogdan Bogdanovic returns from injury. For the first time in a while, there’s a feeling around Atlanta basketball that this team could legitimately contend come the summer months, but the outlook would have been even brighter had they not dealt Kevin Huerter to the Kings in what was nothing more than a glorified salary dump.
Huerter was once again spectacular for the Kings Tuesday night, a team that is becoming one of the more exciting to watch on a daily basis.
Kevin Huerter tonight vs the Nets:
19 PTS
3 AST
2 REB
7-10 FGA
5-7 3PT
+40 pic.twitter.com/Rlx9QKNcG9— KingsMuse (@kings_muse) November 16, 2022
On the season, Red Velvet is now averaging 16.8 points per game on 51.4% shooting from the field and 52.6% from behind the arc. He’s also chipping in 3.2 assists a game. Huerter appears to be taking a substantial leap in his fifth NBA season, and he’s still only 24-years-old.
I’ve written about this topic before, and it’s something I’ll continue to cover throughout the season because this has the potential to go down as an absolutely abysmal trade for the Hawks. When evaluating this team, it’s lacking two things — bench depth and shooting, exactly what Huerter provides. Nothing paints that picture better than last night’s blowout loss to the Celtics.Â
Would Kevin Huerter be a 20-point-a-game scorer in Atlanta like he might become in Sacramento? No, but there’s no doubt he would be the best shooter and bench player on the Hawks right now. Given Bogi’s injury history, it’s mind-boggling Travis Schlenk decided to move him for so little. At the very least, Huerter would have been the perfect sixth man in Atlanta, and who knows just how high his ceiling really is. This was a questionable trade when it occurred, and it only continues to look worse by the day.
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Photographer: Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire
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