The DeAndre Hunter Issue...

[AHF]

3 minutes ago, Wretch said:

So my opinion on Hunter hasn't changed since we got Murray.  Health issues aside, I think his biggest limitation has been playing in the shadow of Trae and DJ.  It was more apparent in Nate's "take turns/no 3's" offense, but there's really not a situation where I'd want the ball in Hunter's hands when Trae, Murray, and now JJ are on the floor with him.  I'm happy seeing him finding his groove off the bench.  Offensively at least, he's more useful and has more freedom playing with the 2nd unit.

It's also a win/win as we get to showcase him for potential upgrades.

If I'm the Hawks GM, while I'd listen to trade offers for anyone on the team I would be somewhat skeptical about Hunter offers given the complete lack of wing defense behind him.  Seems like any team that would trade for him would be doing it because they needed help there not because they had some good big wing defender they were looking to trade.  That might work fine if we dealt DJM or someone else for his replacement but I can't envision too many trades of Hunter that don't create big roster issues for us.  We sure can't be resorting to Garrison Mathews next year like we were when he was injured this season.

[Wretch]

1 hour ago, AHF said:

If I'm the Hawks GM, while I'd listen to trade offers for anyone on the team I would be somewhat skeptical about Hunter offers given the complete lack of wing defense behind him.  Seems like any team that would trade for him would be doing it because they needed help there not because they had some good big wing defender they were looking to trade.  That might work fine if we dealt DJM or someone else for his replacement but I can't envision too many trades of Hunter that don't create big roster issues for us.  We sure can't be resorting to Garrison Mathews next year like we were when he was injured this season.

I understand what you're saying, but I don't necessarily mean a 1:1 upgrade of Hunter...or even the wing position for that matter.  I'm also ok with sacrificing depth.  It's the least of my concerns while the core of the team has struggles to secure a play in.  .

*edit - I'm also taking into consideration that we don't own our own draft picks.  So I'm in no way advocating gutting the team and rolling the dice with whatever we put on the court.  I just don't believe that trading/packaging Hunter is going to break us as a team.

[Hawkmoor]

I've been saying for 4 years that Hunter has to be 1a or 1b, a featured player in the offense.  The Hawks are not built like that.  The wings just stand on the wings and let the guards play offense.  Hunter looks good once he is able to get in a rhythm as a lead player.  A trade might be in his best interest long term.

[AHF]

2 minutes ago, Hawkmoor said:

I've been saying for 4 years that Hunter has to be 1a or 1b, a featured player in the offense.  The Hawks are not built like that.  The wings just stand on the wings and let the guards play offense.  Hunter looks good once he is able to get in a rhythm as a lead player.  A trade might be in his best interest long term.

If Hunter is a team's 1A on offense, they are in a great position to get a high lottery pick and will not be playing in April.  I don't expect that of him and so am very happy with how he is doing with a lot of him time featured in lineups against opposing bench players right now.  His improved efficiency is continued growth that he showed in a starter role.  His current pace of 22 points per 33 minutes played as a reserve (on unsustainable %s) do not suggest that even in his current role he could be a 1A.  He doesn't need to be that to be a good player, though.

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[NBASupes]

On 3/6/2024 at 3:44 PM, Hawkmoor said:

I've been saying for 4 years that Hunter has to be 1a or 1b, a featured player in the offense.  The Hawks are not built like that.  The wings just stand on the wings and let the guards play offense.  Hunter looks good once he is able to get in a rhythm as a lead player.  A trade might be in his best interest long term.

If you aren't Murray or Trae, you just standing or doing short movement. You can't do deep movement like GS with Trae. It's impossible 

[Gray Mule]

The Hunter problem is that he ain't the problem.  The problem is at the center position.  

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[theheroatl]

Defensively speaking how does a 

 

New Defensive Center - JJ - Dre - DJM - Trae lineup work next year?

 

do you think we can get into the top 15 defensively..

 

I wonder what’s in store for Dre if he can translate back to starting or we embrace his 6th man role and slide JJ to 3 and find a great PF-Center combo.. like Clayton

[Diesel]

1 hour ago, theheroatl said:

Defensively speaking how does a 

 

New Defensive Center - JJ - Dre - DJM - Trae lineup work next year?

 

do you think we can get into the top 15 defensively..

 

I wonder what’s in store for Dre if he can translate back to starting or we embrace his 6th man role and slide JJ to 3 and find a great PF-Center combo.. like Clayton

The Center would have to be a scorer also.   IF he could score like Ayton and defend like Claxton, then it would work well.   We need somebody who we can run some of our scoring through.   With no real scoring threats at the 5 position, teams can easily tee off on our guards.  I know that there are those that say "but we have good offensive stats"  however, the stats don't tell the whole story.   The whole of the story is that we undergo droughts... like our expected third quarter scoring drought.   Yep, we need to be able to get stops, but we also need the cohesion of a good offensive player who isn't depended on Trae, DJ, or JJ to get his points. 

 

[deester11]

On 3/6/2024 at 4:44 PM, Hawkmoor said:

I've been saying for 4 years that Hunter has to be 1a or 1b, a featured player in the offense.  The Hawks are not built like that.  The wings just stand on the wings and let the guards play offense.  Hunter looks good once he is able to get in a rhythm as a lead player.  A trade might be in his best interest long term.

In what realm of sense can Hunter be 1a? Hell 1b? Everyone of you can fight me about it.  He's 1c at best.  A few inconsistent scoring games mean nothing to me. Feed him some gunpowder and teach him how to rebound and do it consistently then we can talk.  Smh at the Hunter wish list.

[Peoriabird]

17 hours ago, Gray Mule said:

The Hunter problem is that he ain't the problem.  The problem is at the center position.  

Posters are too dug in on this issue to appreciate this excellent post.

[theheroatl]

32 minutes ago, Peoriabird said:

Posters are too dug in on this issue to appreciate this excellent post.

Nah, Hunter has done a great job fixing his rep this year

 

https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/4065732/deandre-hunter

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

19 hours ago, Gray Mule said:

The Hunter problem is that he ain't the problem.  The problem is at the center position.  

Hunter has been more consistent this year. Stringing together more good games than bad ones.

[AHF]

Hunter's only problem this year has been health.  This is his career best season by a long shot.

[aali34]

The biggest improvement for Hunter has been his decisiveness. He always had spots on the floor where he could be efficient like the middy, the three and his floaters near the rim, but he lacks athleticism and a tight handle. Those weak areas get highlighted even more cause he would survey the court before making a move and struggle to get separation which would allow defenders to contain him.

Now he's thinking less and reacting more so the split second advantage he gets from the defender being behind on plays is translating into him getting to his spots and converting.

He's also stopped forcing offense and has reduced his tunnel vision. That's the biggest surprise, he's making reads I didn't think he could make.

 

[Peoriabird]

1 hour ago, AHF said:

Hunter's only problem this year has been health.  This is his career best season by a long shot.

And yet there are still Hunter detractor saying he is only playing better because he is coming off the bench and thus labeling him a non starter..or just calling this a fluke and calling to trade him while his value is higher!  LOL!  Some people who dedicated most of their post to trashing him while praising players with much less skill/talent just refuse to eat that crow and just move on and treat him like a valuable member of the team.

[kg01]

Smh 

[AHF]

2 hours ago, Peoriabird said:

And yet there are still Hunter detractor saying he is only playing better because he is coming off the bench and thus labeling him a non starter..or just calling this a fluke and calling to trade him while his value is higher!  LOL!  Some people who dedicated most of their post to trashing him while praising players with much less skill/talent just refuse to eat that crow and just move on and treat him like a valuable member of the team.

There are people who are invested in the success or failure of certain players.  I don't think discussion around whether Hunter is better served coming off the bench is necessarily linked to that, though.  The numbers are better as a reserve in a similar number of games.  I personally have him mentally penciled in back as our starting SF next season but I can at least see why some people feel he has flourished off the bench and should remain in that role.

[Peoriabird]

1 minute ago, AHF said:

There are people who are invested in the success or failure of certain players.  I don't think discussion around whether Hunter is better served coming off the bench is necessarily linked to that, though.  The numbers are better as a reserve in a similar number of games.  I personally have him mentally penciled in back as our starting SF next season but I can at least see why some people feel he has flourished off the bench and should remain in that role.

It's just a stupid analysis period! Hunter is our best Small forward by a mile so why anyone would want a worse player to start and close games is either someone with an agenda or a total idiot using that logic.