2020 NBA Draft: 5 Guards that the Washington Wizards could draft at #9
By Ethan Smith
RJ Hampton
LaMelo Ball wasn’t the only draft prospect using the NBL as an NBA training ground. RJ Hampton, like Ball, elected to play a season of professional basketball instead of spending a year at the NCAA level. And while that may have accelerated Hampton’s progression, he definitely seemed out of place as a teenage rookie among seasoned pros.
Wizards Can't Afford to Pass on LaMelo Ball. light. Related Story
Hampton averaged just 8.8 points per game with the New Zealand Breakers, and he struggled shooting from the three-point and free-throw lines. Hampton shot 29.5 and 67.8 percent from those areas, respectively. There’s no way of putting it lightly. Those are concerning numbers.
But even though Hampton didn’t wow in the NBL, his resume is still impressive enough to warrant a lottery pick. A five-star recruit coming out of high school, Hampton was the 2019 Texas Gatorade Player of the Year. He has incredible court vision and uses his silky smooth handle to penetrate and probe opposing defenses.
Unless Hampton wants to get pushed around at the NBA level, he’ll need to add some weight to his 185-pound frame. But if he can do that, he has the length to create mismatches on the perimeter. Hampton is already big for a guard at 6’4, but with his 6’7 wingspan and 8’4 standing reach, Hampton has an incredibly unique blend of size, skill, and athleticism.