The Atlanta Hawks' preseason wraps up tomorrow when they visit the Dallas Mavericks, but in anticipation of Atlanta sitting most of their main rotation tomorrow night, I think it is safe to review what has happened on the court so far.
One thing about the Hawks' preseason is that their starting lineup did not get to play together in any game. Atlanta sat at least one starter in their first three preseason games, then they sat most of their rotation against the Thunder on Monday.
Despite all of that, I think there is one preseason performance that has stood out and and that will carry over to the season next week.
Kingston Flemings is ready for a jump
One of the most anticipated debuts for the Hawks this preseason was that of No. 8 overall pick Kingston Flemings. The Hawks left last season with no clear answer at the point guard position in the short term, let alone the long term, after the Trae Young trade in January and they needed to find some sort of solution.
I think Atlanta found one for this season and hopefully, for many seasons to come.
Flemings has gotten good opportunities this preseason to start games and go against some high-level teams, even if the games themselves don't matter. So far during the preseason, Flemings has averaged 10.3 PPG and 3.8 APG while shooting 46% from the field (good!) and 33% from three (not as good!). He also had a 23% AST% and only an 11% TOV%.
Are those All-Star numbers? No. Are those good numbers for a rookie who is going to be the backup point guard for a potential playoff team? I think so and it is a good starting point for Flemings, who still has plenty to improve.
Hawks head coach Quin Snyder is not the easiest coach to impress if you are a rookie, but one thing in particular has stood out to Snyder about the way that Flemings has been able to play so far during the preseason:
"Yeah, I think that the word process. I think is one that we felt you saw that over the course of the summer. And I think he continues to have a feel for what's going on in the game, whether, you know, when to shoot, when to pass. Right now, you know, I thought from the last game, too, he had, you know, had a better presence on the ball and using his quickness and athleticism defensively. And that was part of the process, you know, getting him. in situations where he could really defend and have an impact, but not foul. So we saw that tonight. He's a young guy, and he's keep working."
Long-term, the Hawks are hoping that Flemings can turn into a stable starting point guard and perhaps a star player who could elevate this team into contender status in the Eastern Conference. This season, if the Hawks can at least get this kind of player with signs of improvement, I think they'll take it and that I think his preseason performance is going to carry over.
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