Dre showed some new layers after returning from injury in 2023-24.
Though it wasn’t his healthiest season, De’Andre Hunter still had one of his better seasons statistics-wise.
Being the most solidified forward on the team coming into the season, Hunter’s role continued to be the same — guard the best perimeter player on the opposing team and knock down shots on offense.
Unfortunately, things did not completely pan out that way for Hunter, as halfway through the season he missed a handful of games due to right knee inflammation and right knee injury management.
Hunter only played in 57 games this season, which is the third-fewest of his career. When he wasn’t on the floor, it hurt the Hawks on defense, especially with the other injuries at the forward position on the team as well.
Things changed after Hunter was available during the second half of the season, as he probably started playing some of the best basketball of his career during that time.
Quin Snyder elected to bring Hunter off of the bench when he came back from injury, and Hunter was highly effective on both sides of the ball — but his offensive efficiency is what was most impressive.
This season, Hunter shot close to 39% from three, which was a career-high for him. He also knocked down a few big shots down the stretch of the season, most notably the three to seal the win against the Boston Celtics.
Hunter was also much more aggressive on the court during that stretch, attacking the basket and getting to his mid-range shot. His rebounding also was a plus during the stretch as well.
On defense, Hunter continued to do what he does best, as he held his own against some of the better forwards in the league. With several injuries at the forward position, he couldn’t be too aggressive on certain nights due to him being the only capable defensive forward. During the Play-In game loss against the Chicago Bulls, Hunter was the only available forward with Jalen Johnson and Vit Krejci not being able to play, although Wesley Matthews did his best forward impression that game.
Through it all, Hunter still averaged 15.6 points per game, which was a career-high for him as well. It was easy to see that Hunter played good basketball after coming back from injury while coming off the bench, but that role may not be something that will stick while he’s on the team. He’s also making starter-level money, so it may be a sacrifice for him to come off the bench, especially depending on if there will be any shake-ups on the roster this offseason.
Hunter did not have his exit interview at the end of the season, so it’s not certain what he’ll be working on this offseason, so we’ll just have to look out for workout videos throughout the summer to see how he looks.