Kingston Flemings hit 38.7% from three at Houston, but on low volume. Can the rookie raise his three-point shooting to give the Atlanta Hawks what they need?
The modern NBA runs on three-point shooting.
Teams prioritize the shot to different degrees, but it remains the defining weapon of the era. A team that cannot put threes on the board loses the math game.
That makes both efficiency and volume matter. Hitting a high percentage of your triples helps, but it only goes so far if you do not take enough of them.
The Atlanta Hawks fared well from deep in 2025-26. Their 37.1% three-point percentage ranked fifth in the league, and their 39.5 attempts per game ranked ninth.
Can rookie Kingston Flemings keep that pace?
Hawks Need Flemings to Shoot
Flemings was efficient from distance at Houston last season, knocking down 38.7% of his triples. The catch is volume. He attempted just 2.9 per game.
Hawks point guard CJ McCollum, by contrast, fired off 6.5 per game, more than double Flemings' mark. With Dyson Daniels and his 18.8% shooting on 1.5 attempts per game in the starting lineup, Atlanta leaned on McCollum to carry its three-point volume.
Flemings lives in the midrange, where he is highly effective, and that scoring will help Atlanta in the half-court. Still, for the Hawks to stay ahead in the math game, he will need to raise his three-point volume.
Whether he can is the question.
Hawks Have Time for Flemings to Develop
A couple of variables work in Atlanta's favor.
Flemings does not need to start on day one. He can serve as a key reserve in 2026-27 and learn the NBA game at his own pace.
College numbers also should not be extrapolated too rigidly into NBA production. Players develop, and Flemings can grow his three-point volume. He would likely have needed to do so regardless of which team drafted him.
There is plenty to like about his game beyond the shooting. Flemings was arguably the best defensive guard in his draft class, and he is a capable ball-handler and playmaker. He profiles as a long-term starter in Atlanta, though the Hawks should map out a gradual succession plan for him behind McCollum.
That is often how it goes when a lottery talent lands on a contender. A team chasing a deep playoff run is not going to hand a rookie heavy usage. The arrangement may cap Flemings' rookie production, but it can benefit his long-term development if he is ready to learn.
Once he is launching enough threes, he should fit this team perfectly.
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