Showing De’Andre Hunter’s path to 6th Man of the Year

Virginia native De’Andre Hunter was touted as one of the top prospects in the 2019 NBA Draft after helping the Cavaliers win the 2019 Landry Fields NCAA Championship, and the front office traded multiple picks to the New Orleans Pelicans to sign him on draft night. After years of ups and downs due to injuries, he finally turned things around in his sixth year.

Hunter has taken on a new role as the sixth man after head coach Quin Snyder brought No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher into the starting lineup to help him acclimate to the league more quickly, and Hunter has thrived off the bench. He is the only player in the league to average 20 points per game off the bench while shooting 43% from distance and 86% from the free throw line.

Most recently, he scored the best goal tally of his entire career. From November 27 to January 1, he scored 15+ points in 16 straight games. He achieved this by playing less, which allowed him to take more care of his knee during games and not have to strain himself by playing for more than 35 minutes at night.

His offensive explosion earned him league-wide fame, and NBA media experts believe he is a strong candidate for Sixth Man of the Year honors. In addition to Hunter, Payton Pritchard of the Boston Celtics also played great night after night at TD Garden. Although Hunter is averaging 20 points off the bench, Pritchard is averaging 15.6 points and 3.4 assists while shooting 43% from distance, similar to Hunter.

Pritchard collected three double-doubles off the bench and came close to a triple-double on all three occasions. He is known for his scoring prowess, but this season his playmaking took center stage and shined in his role as a backup point guard going forward. The two have excelled in different ways on their respective teams and at this rate it will be a close call when the winner is announced at the end of the season.

What De’Andre Hunter needs to accomplish to defeat Pritchard and other contenders.

As of Jan. 8, the Atlanta Hawks are 19-18 after defeating the Utah Jazz, snapping a three-game losing streak against the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers. Hunter underperformed in the first two games, but bounced back with 18 points in the 131-105 loss to the Clippers. Ironically, Pritchard put in some poor performances in November and December, so both leaders experienced mid-season difficulties.

Regardless of his point total, he continues to play good defense, especially with newly added Dyson Daniels on his side at the edge. The addition of Daniels has allowed Hunter to shine in more favorable positional battles rather than defending a faster, more agile defender when out of balance. Now, with more help, he shines as one of the best 3-D wingers in the entire league, and he needs to stay that way if he truly wants to win Sixth Man of the Year.

Other prospects like Amen Thompson and Malik Beasley are also having good seasons. Hunter is a better scorer than Thompson and a better defender than Beasley. So if he stays healthy, he will continue to outshine both of them. Pritchard is his biggest threat considering his offensive versatility and team record. The defending champions are at the top of the Eastern Conference with a record of 27-10, and team success is an important deciding factor.

It can be equated to the player’s impact on the win, but for Hunter it is a circumstantial disadvantage due to the health of the Hawks squad. Former first-round pick Kobe Bufkin is out for the season after shoulder surgery. Franchise second player Jalen Johnson is also out with a shoulder injury. Onyeka Okongwu and Bogdan Bogdanovic have just returned from injuries, although both players missed significant time due to injuries.

The injuries have resulted in numerous losses that would have equated to wins had the Hawks been healthy. Regardless of the 19-18 record, Hunter’s impact cannot be diminished, as it is with the Hawks 16-10 in the games he played when he was healthy. His body has held up so far and he has gotten better at absorbing contact. On December 19, he defeated DPOY candidate Victor Wembanyama, which attracted widespread attention around the league.

Head coach Quin Snyder’s system has opened up a new level in his game. On December 28, Snyder praised Hunter for his improvement following a 120-110 win over the Miami Heat.

“He believes in what we do. Shooting transition threes was special; “He can shoot, and he’s always been able to, but I think his understanding of where those places are and what points in the game he can be even more aggressive,” Snyder said. “He’s not hesitating right now and I think his willingness to shoot threes, sometimes contested threes, because of his size and then the aggressiveness with which he attacks the rim. Those two things I think really shaped the other part of this game where he has the ability to stand up and hit a contested mid-range shot.”

As of January 8th, Pritchard is, according to numerous sports betting providers such as: FanDuel & DraftKings. Both candidates have made strong cases, and Hunter has shown no signs of slowing down. It’s been 15 years since legendary sixth man Jamal Crawford won the award while playing for the Hawks, and Hunter is likely next.