There is no doubt the Atlanta Hawks are high on newcomer and top-ten pick Kingston Flemings. Flemings, drafted eighth overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, can elevate the Hawks’ offense with his playmaking prowess. Hawks head coach Quin Snyder has given Flemings plenty of run to prove himself early on.
Entering Tuesday’s games, Flemings ranks seventh among rookies in total minutes played. In comparison, fellow Hawks rookie Zuby Ejiofor has seen playing time in mop-up duty (22 minutes in four games).
The Atlanta staff clearly trusts Flemings with a big role off the bench, but it’s been a mixed bag through four games.
Aggressive Scoring Helps Flemings’ Playmaking
By trade, Kingston Flemings is a pass-first guard. But there are numerous times when he passes up open shots. Instead, he defers to a teammate.
Flemings is a great passer and possesses elite vision. That aspect of his game has been on full display through his first few games.
The problems arise when Flemings passes up open shots, which leads to turnovers.
In five preseason games, Flemings only turned the ball over five times. He has 11 turnovers through four regular-season games, more than double his preseason rate. He ranks second behind Caleb Wilson and tied with Yaxel Lendeborg in that category.
Notably, Flemings ranks third on the Hawks in potential assists (seven), behind Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels. While he’s an aggressive passer, he’s a passive scorer, which can be detrimental to the Hawks’ offense.
Efficiency Can Increase Flemings’ Shot Tendency
So far, Flemings has a 15.4% usage rate when on the floor. Perhaps a reason for his low shot attempts is a lack of confidence to take them, and so far, his inability to make them.
Flemings only has a 35.2% true shooting percentage so far this season. This has translated into hesitancy to shoot, even when he has open looks.
This lack of confidence will also lead opposing defenses to leave Flemings more space. The bottom line is he must be a more willing scorer. Even though Flemings prefers to share the ball with his teammates, the offense benefits if he also starts looking for his own shot.
The good news is that Flemings is already a great on-ball defender and playmaker. He is more than capable of being an elite player on both ends of the floor. Snyder praised Flemings for his defensive efforts after his first game against the Orlando Magic.
“I thought [Kingston Flemings] did some really good things,” Snyder said after the game. “He turned up the pressure defensively. We went on a couple of runs during that time where we forced a bunch of turnovers.”
Flemings’ potential is off the charts, but he needs to develop aggressive scoring habits to complement the rest of his game.
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