Kingston Flemings Selected with No. 8 Pick: Scouting Report, Fit and More
Kingston Flemings Selected with No. 8 Pick: Scouting Report, Fit and More
Assessing Kingston Flemings’ fit in the NBA.Derek Parker|
The 2026 NBA Draft has officially begun, with several of the league’s top prospects already having heard their name called.
One of those is Houston guard Kingston Flemings, who was selected with the No. 8 pick by the Atlanta Hawks. He saw a highly-interesting one-and-done season with the Cougars, coming in as a five-star though not fully anticipated to have a breakout season. He ultimately did, averaging 16.1 points, 5.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds while cementing himself as one of the top guards in the class.
Below, we’ll evaluate Flemings’ scouting report and assess his fit in the NBA:
Kingston Flemings Scouting Report
College: Houston
Class: Freshman
Position: Guard
Height: 6-foot-3
Wingspan: 6-foot-3
Draft age: 19.5
Strengths:
Rim pressure and driving
Three-level scoring upside
Passing and play-making
Defensive play-making and upside
Areas of Improvement:
Strength and physicality
Shot profile and consistency
Outlook:
Flemings didn’t come out of the NBA Draft combine as the biggest prospect, but still checks tons of boxes at the NBA level. Of the top-tier guard group, he has claim to being the best defender, passer, highest-feel player and the most athletic, while only needing to refine his scoring process.
If Flemings can finish more effectively around the rim and shoot more threes — possible in the spaced-out NBA — he could develop into a star.
Flemings will need to add strength, but offers a solid point guard prospect. He should provide immediate two-way impact, even accounting for a necessary jump in strength.
Role: Lead guard, secondary creator
Impact: Star upside, starter
Swing skills: Strength
Fit with Hawks
Notable players: CJ McCollum, Nickel Alexander-Walker, Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Jonathan Kuminga
Flemings profiles perfectly as the Hawks' point guard of the future, joining a team without a true ball-handler locked in for the future.
Players like CJ McCollum, Nickiel Alexander-Walker, Jalen Johnson and even Dyson Daniels will be able to continue to handle the ball and run offense, though long-term Atlanta will be looking for a true point guard to step into that role, and that's Flemings.
He should be able to play-make for that group, which has some fiery 3-point shooters, and he also fits like a glove defensively. In terms of feel for the game, the Hawks should be confident that he'll get up to speed quickly, though he may not start early in his career.
That's likely for the best, as the Hawks will want him to refine his scoring early in his career.
Published 9 minutes ago | Modified 6 minutes ago
DEREK PARKERDerek Parker covers the National Basketball Association, and has brought On SI five seasons of coverage across several different teams. He graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2020, and has experience working in print, video and radio.
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
