De'Andre Hunter

Holding their own through a first-place tie in East Group C — a cluster that also includes the NBA’s reigning champions and this season’s hottest team — Atlanta and Chicago have confirmed that 2024’s NBA Cup race will be one of many unpredictable thrills. In his attempts to revive the Atlanta Hawks from a 14-point third quarter deficit on November 22, 2024, De’Andre Hunter’s race to the cup could’ve been described in quite similarly. Pairing a teammate’s pick-and-roll with a shifty misdirection dribble, Hunter, following a subtle shoulder shiver of Coby White’s frame, veers through the lane before connecting on an explosive one-handed detonation over Jalen Smith’s contest. The Bulls’ high-octane offensive approach would be too much to overcome during this late-November battle of similarly-circumstanced Eastern Conference foes. Hunter, though, in what has already been a productive 2024-25, collected 14 points (on 6-of-12 shooting), two rebounds, one steal, and one 3-pointer.