Hawks draftee Flemings is potentially better replacement for Trae Young

For all the knocks Trae Young took during his time with the Hawks, no one could ever doubt his playmaking. Few players in the NBA set up teammates with as many easy shots as Young.

That never changed even as Young’s scoring efficiency dipped and his defense never got better than a notch above bad. The Hawks were right to move on from Young in January, but they missed his ability to lift the team’s offensive level

The Hawks drafted Young’s potential replacement, Kingston Flemings, with the No. 8 pick on Tuesday night. He isn’t likely to become an elite playmaker like Young. But Flemings is a good passer, he has the size and athleticism that Young never will, and he’ll be a better NBA defender from Day 1.

Hawks president of basketball operations Onsi Saleh stole the lottery pick from the Pelicans in a trade last year. New Orleans got the 13th pick in last year’s draft. The Hawks netted a higher pick in a better draft and ended up selecting a player with the potential to be better than Young.

That’s a great outcome for the Hawks.

“He’s just the ultimate competitor, especially at his position,” Saleh said of Flemings. “Point of attack defender. Really high-level offensive player, super-efficient. The guy can just do a little bit of everything.”

The Hawks have plenty of guards signed for next season, but none of them have a profile like Flemings. He’s a true point guard, strong for his age and an explosive athlete. Flemings projects as a future lead guard for the Hawks.

That likely won’t happen right away for Flemings, like it did with Young. Flemings is joining a team that just finished sixth in the Eastern Conference. Young was the franchise centerpiece playing for a tanking team.

Still, Flemings should get a chance to carve out a regular role as a rookie. CJ McCollum is the projected starting point guard for the Hawks next season, but he’s much more scorer than playmaker. The same is true for Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

It’s easy to envision Flemings leading the second unit. It’s enticing to think of Flemings in a defensive lineup alongside Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels. The Hawks thrived with an aggressive defensive style on the perimeter last season. Flemings could help them be even better.

That’s how Flemings can impact the Hawks in a way that Young never did. I don’t see him measuring up to Young as a playmaker. Young was the best college freshman I’ve ever seen in that area.

But there are signals that Flemings can outpace Young in other ways beyond defense. He was a better 3-point shooter than Young was in college at Oklahoma (although with a much lower volume). Young was the more prolific scorer, but he also took a lot more shots than Flemings.

The Hawks drafted Flemings during a run on point guards after the top of the draft went as expected. The first four picks, in order, were BYU wing AJ Dybantsa (Wizards), Kansas guard Darryn Peterson (Jazz), Duke forward Cameron Boozer (Grizzlies) and North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson (Bulls).

The Clippers drafted Illinois’ Keaton Wagler with the fifth pick (Yahoo Sports reported that the Hawks coveted Wagler). The Nets selected Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. next. The Kings picked Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr., followed by Flemings to the Hawks.

All those point guards are at least good playmakers. They each offer something different beyond the passing. Wagler and Brown are elite shooters. Acuff is quick and physical. Flemings could end up being the best defender and rim attacker among the group.

Flemings said “adaptability” is what makes him unique.

“I can guard one of the best players,” he said. “I can be a catch-and-shoot ‘3-and-D.’ I can be a lead guard. I can be an off-ball player.

“All the guards in this class have talent in different ways but I think me, my ability to adapt and really show my game in a lot of different ways, is why I’m different.”