P.J. Hairston
College: North Carolina
Age: 21 years old
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 228 Lbs
Position: Shooting Guard
NBA Comparison: Isaiah Rider
An extremely talented shooting guard with an awesome jump shot and a knack for putting points on the board, P.J. Hairston has undoubtedly endured an interesting path to the NBA, and not necessarily in a good way.
After being simply a role player during freshman season at North Carolina and averaging 5.7 points per game in 2011, Hairston exploded onto the scene as a sophomore in 2012, leading the Tar Heels in scoring with 14.6 points per game. Hairston was eventually suspended by the NCAA (no specific rule violations were ever cited), and UNC never sought his reinstatement.
Hairston played last season for the Texas Lengends of the NBA’s Developmental League, and averaged 21.8 points per game while shooting 45.3% from the field before declaring for the 2014 NBA Draft.
Strengths:
An effective scorer from just about anywhere on the court, P.J. Hairston has a great jump shot, and the range to go with it. He has a great, high and quick release with no fundamental flaws. Can easily make defenders pay and get to the rim with his very quick first step, and he has no problem finishing at the rim. Hairston will finish through contact, and is a superb free throw shooter, making 87% from the line last season for the Texas Legends. At 228 pounds, he has a very solid build for a shooting guard, and he did play some as a forward at North Carolina. Very confident in his ability, which is always a good thing.
Weaknesses:
Hairston is a very poor defender due to his overall lack of athleticism and, oftentimes, effort. He definitely needs to improve his awareness on the defensive end of the court. Has trouble defending on the perimeter, and he is often beat by quicker guards cutting and driving to the basket. Oftentimes, Hairston appears completely uninterested in even attempting to play any defense. On the offensive end, once he touches the ball, no one else on his team does, as he averaged just 0.8 assists per game last season. While his confidence can be seen as a good thing, it also leads to him seeming to think he is better than he is, and he may have trouble adjusting to the NBA, where he won’t be a “star” player. Hairston has a very questionable work ethic, which could also stem from his over-confidence.
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Main Photo: Peter Casey-USA Today Sports
