Kingston Flemings didn’t have a smooth start, but he showed exactly why Atlanta wanted him in the first place.
In the Hawks’ Saturday matchup against Utah’s Darryn Peterson, the rookie point guard spent the first half fighting to find his shot. Flemings went 1-7 before halftime, yet he never drifted out of the game. Even while the basket stayed tight, he kept leaning into what he does best: getting teammates involved and staying aggressive.
That willingness paid off. Flemings finished with 14 points, nine assists and four steals, a stat line that told the story of a player who kept impacting the game even when his scoring touch wasn’t there early. He also took care of the ball, turning it over just once.
Peterson, the No. 2 overall pick, had the louder scoring night with 28 points, four rebounds and two assists. He shot 10-20 from the field and made life difficult for Flemings defensively. But he also coughed it up eight times, which gave the edge in control and efficiency to the Hawks rookie.
The contrast between the two was clear: one was hunting buckets, the other was running the offense. Flemings’ persistence showed up late, when he hit threes in transition and then buried what looked like a clutch shot in the fourth quarter after Atlanta’s 9-0 run. The basket nearly forced overtime, but it was ruled a two-pointer because his toe was on the line.
Even in a one-point loss, Flemings gave Atlanta something it can build on. The Hawks have needed a fourth-quarter closer, and his late-game poise fit that role. His resilience stood out after a rough first half, and that kind of response matters for a team that has seen games slip away before.
The source of that concern goes back to Atlanta’s first playoff series together, when the Hawks barely survived two one-point wins over the New York Knicks before unraveling after adjustments. That stretch ended with a 140-89 Game Six loss, a reminder of how quickly confidence can disappear.
Flemings’ style gives Atlanta a different kind of answer. He attacks the rim, forces defenders into foul trouble and creates chances for others.
That approach is supposed to keep the Hawks competitive when the pressure rises. It also matters because the team has seen what happens when a top option hesitates; newly minted All-Star Jalen Johnson had trouble handling New York’s physicality, and there were moments when he wouldn’t even look at the rim.
Flemings has the chance to be the next important piece beside Atlanta’s star power, bringing speed, pressure and playmaking in the same package. That blend helped Trae Young become a 4x All-Star in Atlanta, and it’s part of why Onsi Saleh’s decision to make Flemings his successor already looks like the right one.
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One Hawks Move Made Perfect Sense And Another Could Cost Them
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The trickier decision came with Buddy Hield, whose contract was guaranteed for next season even though he was not a regular part of the rotation last year. Atlanta is already carrying 16 players on standard deals and has to trim to 15 before camp, so every guaranteed contract matters. The Hawks may like the stability, but the salary and roster math make this the kind of choice that can look a lot different once the real crunch begins. [Read more 🡒]