Kingston Flemings scores 11 in preseason debut

Four of Atlanta’s five projected starters are available for Monday’s preseason opener, except CJ McCollum. His absence opens up a spot for Flemings, the eighth overall pick in June’s draft. The role may not align with what awaits Flemings once the regular season begins, but starting immediately is a positive sign, even if it’s as a fill-in for McCollum.

Flemings has struggled as a scorer this summer, but his impact as a defender and playmaker has been evident. That was the case in Salt Lake City, and it has carried over to Las Vegas. So far this summer, he has 22 assists, 10 stocks and just three turnovers. Atlanta has enough scoring options, so if Flemings’ scoring struggles continue during the regular season, his defense and playmaking should allow him to still make a positive impact in year one.

After struggling with his shot in his summer debut on Saturday, Flemings cleaned some things up on Monday. However, where he once again stood out was as a playmaker and defender. Flemings recorded five more assists while committing just one turnover, and his four “stocks” included three blocked shots. While he’s likely to come off the bench as a rookie, Flemings has shown early on that he may offer value in deeper redraft leagues to managers specifically seeking assists and defensive stats.

The Hawks added Flemings with the No. 8 pick in the draft, and while he struggled to score, there was a lot to like about what he did as a playmaker. One encouraging aspect about what he did as a scorer was his shot from deep, which was a question mark entering the draft. He even hit a big shot that nearly tied the game at 100 late, but his foot was in the line. Still, the assists and steals should be his bread and butter for fantasy hoops, and he only turned the ball over once.

The 6-foot-3, 183-pound Flemings was one of the best players in college basketball, earning consensus All-America honors during his lone season at Houston. In 37 games, he averaged 16.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 three-pointers, shooting 47.6 percent from the field, 38.7 percent from three and 84.5 percent from the foul line. Boasting the size, athleticism and instincts needed to defend his position, Flemings can also score on all three levels, but there is still room for growth on that end of the floor. He joins a perimeter rotation led by Nickeil Alexander-Walker and CJ McCollum, so Flemings will have some good players to learn from as he begins his NBA journey. Atlanta’s need for additional playmaking on the perimeter gives him a shot at achieving fantasy relevance as a rookie.