Hawks’ De’Andre Hunter provides team with scoring punch off the bench

After Hunter missed nine of the Hawks’ first 11 games of the season, the team decided to bring him off the bench instead of returning him to the starting lineup. Hunter has thrived.

In 14 games since Nov. 15, Hunter has provided the Hawks a spark off the bench on offense and defense. He’s shot 47.7% from the floor on 13.8 field-goal attempts per game. But he has given the Hawks a big jolt on 3-point shots, knocking down 45.5% of his 6.8 3-point attempts per game.

“I think coming off the bench, my teammates kind of look for me to score now,” Hunter said. “Whereas where I was starting, and ... if I score, I score. If I don’t, I don’t. But, coming off the bench, I think that’s a part of my role in the team now, is to come in and provide that scoring punch. So that’s just what I’m trying to do when I’m in there.”

Off the bench, Hunter has scored 15 or more points in nine consecutive games, which ties Jamal Crawford for the longest such streak by a Hawks reserve in club history. It also is the longest such streak by any reserve in the NBA since the 2021-22 season (Tyler Herro: 16).

The Hawks score 6.4 more points per 100 possessions with Hunter on the court than when he’s off, which puts him in the 87th percentile among forwards in that category, according to Cleaning the Glass.

Hunter’s offensive surge has come thanks to the confidence instilled in him by Hawks coach Quin Snyder. Having that green light has emboldened Hunter not only to shoot with confidence but also to adjust his shot profile.

This season, Hunter has continued to shoot from midrange, but he has taken far fewer longer midrange jumpers. Hunter has looked to attack the rim and has taken advantage of the Hawks system that is predicated on playing the pass. The constant ball movement has helped Hunter, allowing him to get into rhythm far sooner in the play.

So, he’s been able to cut to the basket, going 7-of-7 on his cutting layups, while also making 50% of his driving layups.

But Hunter’s diversification of his shot profile all goes back to the Hawks looking to take and make more 3′s.

“I think that’s something that I’ve done for a while now, is shoot a good midrange shot,” Hunter said. “So this summer, I just was really trying to focus on getting to the rim and shooting 3′s, whether it was off the dribble, off the catch. Mostly all my workouts this year was just mainly 3-point shots. And obviously I used my athleticism and started to get to the rim. That’s more instinct. But yeah, most of my workouts were just really trying to shoot the 3 as much as I can.”

The new role and finding joy in playing this season has resulted in the usually stoic Hunter showing more emotion. He’s celebrating his successes, whether finishing a dunk or knocking down a 3.

During the Hawks’ win over the Pelicans on Dec. 2, Hunter caught a low pass from Jalen Johnson on the corner then made the 3 falling out of bounds before putting up three fingers in the form of a pistol. But that emotion comes out even more when he attacks the basket and goes up for a dunk, as in the Hawks’ NBA Cup quarterfinals win over the Knicks on Dec. 11.

“I wouldn’t say ‘vintage’ because he’s still pretty young,” Johnson said. “But he caught a lob in (Madison Square) Garden that got me awfully hype because, you know, you don’t see Dre dunk like that, was cool to see.

“I think y’all just finally getting to see it. Dre’s one of the coolest people I’ve ever met. So he’s just real chill, like a real chill guy, just real, like, cool, calm demeanor about him, about everything. And when Dre shows that type of emotion, it’s like, ‘OK, everybody got to get into it now.’ So it’s been cool.”

For Hunter, showing more emotion this season has come because he wanted to change his mindset.

“A lot of it is frustration,” Hunter said. “A lot of it is stuff off the court that people don’t really know about. But I told myself this year I was gonna enjoy the game more. It’s a blessing being an NBA (player), and I’ve had my time where I’ve been stoic and calm and chill, but I just try to enjoy the game. And I always think about those times where I’m hurt and I can’t play. So, I just try to let it all out on the court now and when I can.”

Last month, Hunter welcomed a daughter with his partner two months before the expected delivery date. Both the mother of his child and the daughter were stable shortly after the early delivery.

But the Hawks provided Hunter with plenty of support, especially as the team has grown closer this season. That camaraderie has helped Hunter’s surge this season, particularly on the defensive end of the floor, with the whole team buying into ratcheting up their efforts.

“I think it’s big,” Hunter said. “You know, being a primary defender for the last, four or five years, it gets tough sometimes. But, that was my job. And, having guys like Dyson (Daniels) and Trae is also stepping up, and (Johnson) and Big O (Okongwu) on the court and CC (Clint Capela), those guys definitely helped defensively. And you don’t have to exert as much energy. So, I’ll have more energy on the offensive end.

“But if I gotta do it, I gotta do it. If I gotta play defense, I’m used to that. If I got to score, I could do that as well. So like I said, I’m just trying to do what the team needs me to do each night.”

So, when he gets put on the spot and asked what has been the most fun he has had so far this season, he doesn’t have to think too hard.

“(Shoot), I’ll just say the streak we were on,” Hunter said. “Honestly, that streak was fun. It was good vibes everywhere. Guys were enjoying each other and, their self. So we worked really hard. So to see it pay off, and to see your guys make those same shots that they worked on ... and to actually get a win doing so, that’s always lovely. So I would say that was probably the most fun I had.”