Washington Wizards 2015 NBA Draft Prospects Primer: The Wings
Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
R.J. Hunter: Jr., Georgia State
High-scoring Prince look-alike R.J. Hunter took the world by storm after he made an old man fall out of his chair in the NCAA Tournament. Hunter’s shot from the parking lot to beat Baylor was the big-money moment in one of this year’s biggest upsets, but he wasn’t there by accident – he’s been one of the top mid-major players in the country for the past three years.
A versatile scorer with range for days, Hunter averaged over 18 a game in his college career and finished as the Sun Belt Conference’s leading scorer last season. Hunter’s got a great wingspan for his position and excels as an off-ball defender, while showing some big-time improvement as a passer and a general creator in his junior season.
The most eye-catching thing about his game is certainly his range – people who watched him in the postseason got plenty of chances to see him hit shots from well beyond NBA range – but as a player who lives and dies with his jumper, Hunter has been frightfully inconsistent so far.
About 75% of Hunter’s shots last year were jumpshots, and his 3-point percentage actually took a major downturn, from 39.5% his sophomore year to just 30.5% last year. Hunter might fare better when he doesn’t have to consistently create his own shot, but it should be noted that he wasn’t great on catch-and-shoot opportunities.
He’s a skinny kid who lacks great athleticism, and he struggled mightily to finish consistently at the rim despite weak opposition. He’s got a great frame, and he needs to get to work filling it out – like I said previously about Murray State point guard Cameron Payne, if he’s having trouble getting to the rim and scoring at the mid-major level, it doesn’t bode well for what’s going to happen in the NBA.
R.J. Hunter has potential as a playmaker and 3-point threat, but there are a lot of holes in his game, and he needs to prove that he can be more than a big fish in a small pond.
At 19, he’s not the guy I would want.
Next: 2) Rashad Vaughn