Kevin Huerter came into the league as a sharpshooter, but has succeeded in Chicago in other ways. Despite adding new elements to his game, Huerter still gets labeled as 'just a shooter.' Since arriving from the Kings, Huerter has made a positive impact with his well-rounded game and proves the outdated label wrong every time he suits up.
Kevin Huerter is more than a shooter
The Bulls expected a three-point sniper in Huerter and have gotten something quite different. His outside shot hasn’t been the best in Chicago, as he’s only shooting 31.7 percent from three through nine games this season. But he’s still a respected shooter who can provide valuable spacing on the wing.
Most importantly, Huerter has improved in many areas of weakness over the last couple of seasons. His defense has never looked better, and it’s helped the Bulls stay solid on that end. Even with their subpar rim protection, Chicago has held its own defensively thanks to unexpected perimeter contributions from guys like Huerter.
Huerter is getting done in multiple ways on defense. Opposing teams will still try to pick on him based on outdated narratives, despite him proving his worth time and time again. Quicker guards are finding it hard to get by him, while bigger forwards are surprised by his strength guarding the post. Huerter is averaging a career-high 1.1 blocks per game this season to go along with 1.0 steals.
“Red Velvet” has also lived up to his nickname with a smooth handle. In Chicago, he’s gotten more freedom with the ball in his hands than ever before and is making good use of it. It’s given him another scoring option when his shot isn’t falling and makes him more of a threat overall.
The biggest evidence of his new offensive abilities is at the free throw line, where he’s averaging a career-high 2.4 attempts per game (compared to 1.0 for his career). Huerter is attacking the rim more and getting foul calls because of it. And he’s continuing to convert those attempts at great efficiency: 86.4 percent from the line this season.
Huerter’s numbers don’t always pop on the box score, but the advanced numbers reveal his impact. He leads the Bulls in plus/minus despite his meager numbers of 13.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. His consistent hustle has helped the Bulls win, even if it’s not recorded in the stats.
It took a while, but Kevin Huerter has effectively transformed himself into a 3-and-D player with a versatile game. Teams are quickly realizing that there’s a lot more to his skillset than their scouting reports have suggested. Even without reaching the same levels of shooting efficiency he once had, Huerter is having the greatest impact of his career with his expanded repertoire.