Kingston Flemings has already flashed the kind of upside that gets a fan base leaning forward. In summer league, the Atlanta Hawks rookie has shown real juice as a playmaker in transition and in half-court pick-and-roll action, and that has only sharpened the anticipation around his first NBA season.
But the leap from promising rookie to complete player is where the real work begins. Atlanta may be the right place for that work, because Flemings is walking into a guard room with two players who can help shape different parts of his game: Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
Daniels gives Flemings a blueprint on the defensive end. In 2024-25, Daniels established himself as an All-NBA caliber defender, winning Most Improved Player, finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and landing First Team All-Defense honors. He routinely draws the toughest perimeter assignment, and his ability to disrupt possessions is a big part of what makes him so valuable.
That kind of edge fits what Flemings has already shown in Las Vegas. The former University of Houston guard has six steals and five blocks in four summer league games, and his instincts for getting a hand on the ball have stood out. One of his best moments came in Atlanta’s 83-76 win over the Brooklyn Nets on July 11, when the 6-foot-11 Danny Wolf tried to back him down in the post, only for Flemings to battle and strip the ball loose, forcing a jump ball.
That’s the sort of gritty play Hawks fans want to see more of, and Daniels is the ideal teammate for Flemings to study.
On the other side of the ball, Alexander-Walker offers a different lesson: shoot it more, and keep the efficiency. He won Most Improved Player last season after averaging 20.8 points per game, with his usage and shot volume climbing well beyond what he had shown in his three seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Even with that bigger role, he stayed productive.
Alexander-Walker took 8.1 threes per game and hit 3.2 of them, both career highs. That matters for Flemings, too.
At 6-foot-4, he only attempted 2.9 threes per game in college, though he made 38.7% of them. His best weapon is his quick first step and long speed getting downhill, but that only becomes more dangerous if defenses have to respect the jumper.
Quin Snyder’s system puts a premium on three-point shooting, and Flemings will need to grow there if he wants to maximize his slashing game. He can already get into the paint, but his rim finishing still needs work. A bigger, more confident three-point diet would raise his scoring ceiling and make the rest of his offensive game easier to unlock.
Alexander-Walker’s career year under Snyder shows what that kind of growth can look like in Atlanta.
Flemings still has at least three more summer league games before his regular-season debut later this fall. The Hawks are also trying to stay unbeaten in Las Vegas and chase the summer league championship later this week.
In Other News...
The East Just Got Tougher And The Hawks Have No More Excuses
The Eastern Conference has spent the offseason collecting reasons to be taken seriously, and Paolo Banchero is among the latest to say the balance of power has shifted. With recent trades and team upgrades reshaping the landscape, the Orlando forward pointed to the Easts depth and the way several teams have improved as evidence that the conference is no longer the easy side of the league.
For the Hawks, that only sharpens the pressure heading into next season. Atlanta is part of the group trying to move up in a conference that looks more crowded by the day, and the Magic are approaching the year with their own expectations after a disappointing finish last season. Banchero said Orlando wants to prove it belongs among the elite, and if the East keeps tightening, there will be fewer places to hide. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Rotation Battle Could Leave One Opening Night Role Wide Open
Atlantas offseason was more about continuity than splash, with the Hawks choosing to retain key pieces and shore up depth instead of chasing a headline-grabbing overhaul. That approach has left the projected rotation looking fairly set at the top, with familiar names and new additions expected to define the nightly workload as the team sorts out how the pieces fit around the starters and main reserves.
The real intrigue now is at the edges of the roster, where a few roles still feel unsettled and every practice rep matters. The Hawks are carrying 16 players and will have to get down to 15 before opening night, which means the final stretch of camp could decide more than just the last man in. Even beyond that trim, there are minutes to be claimed in the backcourt and frontcourt, and the competition for those spots may be the clearest sign yet of how Atlanta plans to manage its depth once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Rumor Puts New Pressure On Zaccharie Risacher
A wing-market rumor has put a little extra heat on the Hawks long-term plans, with Atlanta said to be exploring ways to add another young perimeter defender after a breakout season from a rising restricted free agent in Denver. The appeal is obvious: a player who can guard, finish and fit into a modern rotation is exactly the kind of piece teams spend all summer chasing, especially when the front office is still trying to sort out how its own young wings will develop.
For the Hawks, the subtext is less about the outside target and more about Zaccharie Risacher, who now has a nearby benchmark for what a useful two-way wing can look like early in his career. If Atlanta is serious about upgrading that spot, Risachers path to a bigger role gets narrower and the expectations get sharper, because the comparison is no longer theoretical. It is sitting right there in the market, with other contenders also circling. [Read more 🡒]