Atlanta Hawks: 5 goals for Kevin Huerter’s rookie season

5. Grasp the defensive scheme as quickly as possible

Huerter’s biggest question mark is his defensive upside. At 6’7″, Huerter has decent height, allowing him to defend both shooting guards and small forwards. Combine that with a decent drive and intelligence on that end and you have someone who could become a decent team defender, However, the lack of size — 6’7″ wingspan — and questionable feet limit his overall defensive ability.

It will be interesting to see how new head coach Lloyd Pierce treats Huerter and other players who may be lackluster on the defensive end. During his tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers, Pierce was known for his defensive acumen and ability to help players improve rather quickly on that side of the ball.

During his introductory press conference, Pierce made it clear how much of an emphasis he places on the defensive end.

"”If we weren’t doing this press conference right now, I’d probably have these guys doing some defensive drills,” Pierce said Monday. ”That’s who I am.”"

Atlanta is going to be one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference regardless of Huerter’s defensive ability, but if he can show the capability to be a decent defender — both as a team defender and as a one-on-one defender — in spurts, it only helps the Hawks as they continue to rebuild the roster.