The Atlanta Hawks spent nearly a decade resting their hopes on one star point guard to carry them to greatness. Now, with that star on the opposite side of the court for the first time, it looks like another has emerged to fill the space he left behind.
The Washington Wizards hosted the Hawks on Wednesday, the first time Trae Young has lined up against the franchise that started his career, with this year’s No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa starting alongside him.
But it was the Hawks’ own rookie point guard Kingston Flemings that stole the show, recording the first start of his career after a tumultuous debut week.
The start may have come thanks in part to the generosity and vision of one of his own veteran teammates, but Flemings took the chance to tell the NBA world that he just might have already earned himself that spot anyway. The implications, both for this season and beyond, could be staggering.
Kingston Flemings dazzles in first NBA start
Flemings made Atlanta’s starting five for their 120-105 win over the Wizards in the capital Wednesday night. The 19-year-old rookie out of Houston was impressively efficient, scoring 14 points in 23 minutes on 6-of-9 from the field and 2-of-2 from three, with three rebounds and four assists against two turnovers to his name as well. By contrast, his rookie counterpart Dybantsa finished the night with only nine points in 32 minutes on 4-of-12 shooting.