ORLANDO - Much like many of his Orlando Magic teammates, R.J. Hampton is in the early stages of his development. He’s very raw, unpolished some would say. But, he has some intriguing qualities, some of which have already been featured during his rookie season.
Among them is his blazing speed, which is glaring when opponents close out on him on the perimeter. More often than not, he will beat his man off the dribble. Rarely do defenders stay between him and the basket.
Being able to change speeds and directions on the fly is another part of his repertoire. He has a smooth stop-and-go game. One former NBA player who had that was Monta Ellis, who the recently-turned 20-year-old Hampton draws some comparisons to.
In transition is where he’s really a blur. When he gets out into the open court and goes full force toward the basket, watch out.
Another one of his skills is contorting his body around traffic. His athleticism helps with that because he can hang in the air for a while. Zach LaVine, who some feel Hampton could be like by the time he hits his prime, does that extremely well.
Hampton, who played for the New Zealand Breakers last season before being selected 24th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, has a floater in his arsenal. That’s significant, as some young players struggle to shoot over length without that shot available to them.
At 6-foot-4 and with a 6-foot-7 wingspan, Hampton, who grew up about an hour away from Dallas in Little Elm, Texas, has combo-guard type length. That allows him to effectively play the one or the two.
A crafty ball handler, too, the 2019 Texas Gatorade Player of the Year has a nice compilation of moves he uses to break down defenders in isolation.
What will likely determine whether he transforms into a prolific scorer or not is his 3-point shooting, which many consider to be the biggest blemish in his game. The form looks good, and he appears to be willing to take threes, but he’s far from being a major threat from beyond the arc.
With the Denver Nuggets, he made five of his 18 3-point attempts (27.8%). Last year with the Breakers, he shot 29.5% from deep.
As explosive as he is driving the ball, finishing consistently is still a work in progress. So far in the NBA, he’s shooting 52.2% within five feet of the hoop and just 22.2% between five and nine feet out.
What he can be defensively is similar to what Cole Anthony can be – pesky, tenacious and physical. Taking charges, which Anthony does very well, is one way he can make a defensive impact. He seems to also have pretty good instincts and anticipation, so perhaps he can be the type of defender that gets his hands in passing lanes and racks up deflections. He certainly has the length to do that.