After his press conference with the Kansas Jayhawks, Hunter Dickinson needs to back up the hype surrounding his reputation. He succeeded in individual production at Michigan, but the question now is whether he is good enough for Kansas.
Does Hunter Dickinson Make Kansas the Favorite?
How Does He succeed?
Post Moves
Dickinson is a dominant post-scorer. He shot 58.8% from two-point range last season with Michigan. He possesses excellent left-hand moves in the post and has great size. Dickinson loves the left-hand hook or a baseline spin, where he finishes with his strong hand. At seven-foot-one and 255 lbs, he gets an advantage in the majority of his matchups in the post. He shoots over the top of other big men and does not fear shot-blocking affecting his post moves. Therefore, he finds prosperity in his inside scoring.
Capable Shooting
Dickinson is also an excellent shooter but has limited attempts. He shot 42.1% from three but only attempted 1.7 a game. Nevertheless, Dickinson is a good shooter because his conversion percentage is high, and his mechanics are sound. He also made a giant jump as he improved his three-point shooting percentage by ten points this past season.
Excellent Rebounding
Dickinson is a remarkable rebounder. He was fourth in rebounds per game in the Big 10 this past season. He embraces his size and rebounds the basketball effectively. Coaches teach bigs to use their size and get rebounds, which Hunter does at a high level. He uses his positioning and attacks the glass with force.
How Dickinson Fits at Kansas
Dickinson fits well in a few areas for the Jayhawks. He provides inside scoring, which Kansas did not have last season. He will threaten other Big 12 bigs, and he will be a different feature to the offense than in past years. His inside scoring is a positive for the offensive versatility of the Jayhawks.
From an offensive perspective, his fit makes a lot of sense. However, some concerns with Dickinson need addressing. First off, he isn’t a great ball-screen defender. He plays in a drop coverage, which surrenders a lot of jump shots for guards. Kansas switched everything last year and found success. Therefore, they must change their defensive schemes and guard at an elite level with drop coverage.
Another concern is the pace of the offense. Dickinson is dominant inside, meaning the game needs to slow down to get the ball into the post. Post-ups disrupt motion and fast-paced offenses, and he slows the game down for Kansas. To put it in context, Kansas was 74th in possessions per game, and Michigan was 160th. Therefore, they bring in a slower offensive player this season.
The Last Word: Does Hunter Make KU The Favorite?
Dickinson provides a lot of benefits on the offensive end for Kansas. He scores well and efficiently and has experience playing high-level college ball. Kansas is a contender to win in March with Dickinson. However, their offense needs to adjust to how he plays, and he needs to improve his defense to market himself for the next level.
