After a thrilling Game 7 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Atlanta Hawks are set to face off against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. Similar to their previous counterparts in the Sixers, head coach Nate McMillan and his men will have to slay another giant in the Bucks who are coming off a high after eliminating the Kevin Durant-led Brooklyn Nets.
In a bid to give themselves a chance to beat the Bucks in this series, a pivotal x-factor that the Hawks could rely on would be Kevin Huerter. In Game 7 of their previous matchup against the Sixers, it was him who delivered on both ends of the floor and pumped life into his team in a tightly-contested do-or-die game.
Not to mention that the Sixers did a great job of limiting both Trae Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic's offensive production in that particular game. In fact, the former only scored 21 points while the latter recorded a dismal tally of four points. Huerter successfully made key plays for the Hawks and recorded a total of 27 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in 40 minutes played.
In their upcoming series against the Bucks, a similar strategy is expected from head coach Mike Budenholzer as he will try to put on the clamps on the Hawks' primary scorers in Young and Bogdanovic. Like the heady playmaker that he is, Huerter is once again expected to step up to the plate in the event that his teammates will be neutralized by opposing defenders.
Another good thing about Huerter is that he doesn't always demand the ball but remains ready to deliver when needed. Him being an under-the-radar contributor benefits him since he won't be covered as much as his other teammates who are known to be scorers. Throughout this year's playoffs, the Maryland product has been a serviceable asset for the Hawks and is currently averaging 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists through 12 games played.
Though not exactly known for his defense, Huerter remains to be a reliable defender who can make timely steals and grab extra possessions for his squad. His effort on that end of the floor will definitely be needed in this series since the Bucks have a multitude of players who can score in bunches and light it up from the field.
In the Eastern Conference Finals, Huerter is expected to match up against Khris Middleton who has been a killer for the Bucks, especially in their previous series against the Nets. The two-time All-Star is currently having the best postseason numbers of his career this season with 23.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists through 11 appearances.
Middleton is usually the one who carries the scoring load for the Bucks, especially in situations when Giannis Antetokounmpo is being covered or is having a bad shooting night. Middleton will definitely have his moments in this series and Huerter's ability to limit his scoring output would be key for the Hawks in gaining the upper hand against the Bucks.
Indeed, Nate McMillan and his team would need to be at their best if they want to steal this series from their opponents and ultimately punch their ticket to the NBA Finals. At the same time, they would definitely need Kevin Huerter to be their x-factor and make an impact for them in this series in order to stand a chance in pulling off an upset win against Giannis Antetokounmpo and company.
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