The 2020 NBA Draft is only a few months away, which means scouting and mock drafts have ramped up. RJ Hampton is one of the most skilled players in this draft class. His size, skills, and professional experience make him one of the most enticing players in this year’s draft class. Hampton has high potential in this league.
2020 NBA Draft Profile for RJ Hampton
International Career
This past year, Hampton played for the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL Australia league. Although he only played 15 games for the Breakers, it was a good chance to see how he would match up against grown men. Hampton averaged 8.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.
The most interesting part of Hampton’s short career with New Zealand is his matchups against another NBA draft prospect. He went head-to-head twice with another great prospect of this year’s draft, LaMelo Ball. These two games were a great chance to see how Hampton would stack up against other players in the 2020 NBA draft.
In their first dual, Hampton finished with eight points, six rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one steal in a win. Hampton held Ball to 10 points in their first matchup. But the second matchup was a bit different on the defensive end for Hampton. Ball had a triple-double in their second matchup, with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. Hampton’s team won, however, as he dropped 12 points, five rebounds, and two assists.
Although he didn’t stuff the stat sheet as Ball did, Hampton proved that he could hold his own in a professional-league setting.
Strengths
- 6’4” point guard with good size and length (6’7″ wingspan with 8’4″ standing reach)
- Can score off the dribble
- Good ballhandler
- Has the ability to make the right play
- Naturally gifted athletic ability
- Has the ability to play well defensively because of his length
- Good mid-range jump shot
- Can easily maneuver through defenses
Weaknesses
- Needs to improve shot selection (tends to settle for deep, contested shots)
- Can occasionally play wildly and play too fast on offense
- Needs to shoot the three at a higher percentage
- Emotions and effort can improve
- Lack of strength can be costly on the defensive end
NBA Player Comparison
While Hampton still needs to improve on some facets of his game, Hampton has qualities of the Denver Nuggets‘ Jamal Murray in his skill set. Both players have a similar play style and body type. Both have great vertical leaping ability, and both are competent ballhandlers. Although Murray is a more consistent shooter than Hampton, they have a lot of the same skills. If Hampton improves his shot consistency and puts on a few pounds of muscle, he will be a great player in the NBA.
NBA Draft Projection
At the beginning of last year, it seemed like Hampton would be a top-five pick in the draft. Since then, things have changed. More players have emerged, and Hampton’s lack of recognition in international play has dropped his stock a bit. However, Hampton hasn’t lost any skill. He still remains one of the top prospects in this year’s class. If he keeps working on himself and has a good showing at pre-draft workouts, he can very well possibly be a middle-to-late lottery pick.
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