His fall initially worried the Hawks bench, before turning into a trickster opportunity. At the heart of a stifling end to the match in Charlotte, De'Andre Hunter had just scored under the circle 30 seconds from the end despite several defenders.
The Hawks winger collapsed after his basket and took a few seconds to get back up, while the Hornets tried to exploit the surplus. Missed. The locals lost the ball and Trae Young was able to serve his teammate, who remained alone in the opposing camp.
His four points in a row, then his move to free throws, would allow the visitors to win, a third time in a row. The hero of this end of the match has a lot to do with the current dynamic of the group.
Starting the season, the 27-year-old missed ten games afterward due to a knee injury and the birth of his son. Despite having the status of 6th man since his return, since Zaccharie Risacher has moved into the starting five, he is a hit.
In the race for the best 6th man
Before his big end to the match in Charlotte, the 4th choice of the 2019 Draft, accustomed to the major five since his debut, had signed 26, then 23 points in the remarkable double victory against the Cavaliers. With more than 18 points on average since the start of the season, including a 40% behind the arc also a record, he has never been so efficient in his career.
“ It's clearly very important, huh? Emphasize this. Above all, it's the way he plays. I don't think he gets enough credit for all the little things he does, partly because they aren't always visible “, judged Quin Snyder last week.
Others are clearly more visible. “ He is always well placed in defense. He's a warrior. He really embraced the 3-point shot, he worked on it. Coach (Antonio) He and Lang worked on quick shots that are hard to block, as if a contested 3-pointer was a good shot for him », Further develops the coach by praising the physical qualities of his player.
Quin Snyder says to himself “ lucky » to coach such a player, who obviously did not make waves after his change of status within the team. On the contrary, this development seems favorable for him so far, while Bogdan Bogdanovic is slowly getting back on track.
Third salary on the team, earning just under $22 million, he can clearly enter the race for the trophy for the best 6th man in the league.
| De'Andre Hunter | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2019-20 | ATL | 63 | 32 | 41.0 | 35.5 | 76.4 | 0.7 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 12.3 |
| 2020-21 | ATL | 23 | 30 | 48.4 | 32.6 | 85.9 | 0.7 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 15.0 |
| 2021-22 | ATL | 53 | 30 | 44.2 | 37.9 | 76.5 | 0.5 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 13.4 |
| 2022-23 | ATL | 67 | 32 | 46.1 | 35.0 | 82.6 | 0.7 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 15.4 |
| 2023-24 | ATL | 57 | 30 | 45.9 | 38.5 | 84.7 | 0.5 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 15.6 |
| 2024-25 | ATL | 10 | 27 | 47.6 | 40.4 | 89.1 | 0.6 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 18.2 |
| Total | 273 | 31 | 44.8 | 36.5 | 81.5 | 0.6 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 14.4 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
