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2016 NBA Draft: Purdue’s A.J. Hammons

By Michael Whitlow

Mar 17, 2016; Denver , CO, USA; Purdue Boilermakers center A.J. Hammons (20) on the bench in the first half of Purdue vs Arkansas Little Rock in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2016; Denver , CO, USA; Purdue Boilermakers center A.J. Hammons (20) on the bench in the first half of Purdue vs Arkansas Little Rock in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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Throughout the offseason, we’ve glanced at some potential draft selections for the Chicago Bulls with the No. 14 and 48 picks in the 2016 NBA Draft. In this look, we’ll profile Purdue’s A.J. Hammons; a massive seven-footer and this past season’s Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

When you watch A.J. Hammons play during his four years in college, two things stick out with you: he’s a gigantic human being and he has tremendous skill for a player of his size.

Hammons spent four years with the Purdue Boilermakers, leading the Boilers to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in his final two seasons. The seven-foot, 260-270-pound Hammons (pending on the scouting profile you look at) averaged 15 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in his senior season, which led to him winning the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year award and being named to All-Big Ten First Team.

Early on in his college career, there was no doubt over his potential and overall game. The doubts sparked from Hammons’ size and ability to get up and down the floor over the course of a game and having the right mentality to become a legitimate NBA prospect. He’ll grade out as a second-rounder by many around the draft, but his game grades out as a first-round talent.

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Strengths:

Hammons is going to make a living in the NBA if he sticks as a defensive anchor. As a seven-footer with a 7’3″ wingspan, he’s going to alter a ton of shots and could expand his defensive game out near the perimeter to make him even more of a dominant force defensively by getting into better shape.

Out of DraftExpress’ top 100 prospects in this class, only two players (Texas’ Prince Ibeh and Kentucky’s Skal Labissiere) had more blocks per 40 minutes than Hammons’ 4.1. Purdue was one of the best defensive teams in the Big Ten and in the entire country with Hammons as their last line of defense.

If you come near him, you better be prepared for a shot to get swatted the other way. (This block on Eron Harris’ drive to the basket was Hammons’ third stop at the rim and the game wasn’t even four minutes in.)

He’s a great post defender (when he wants to be) and can match up with just about any big put in front of him. He’s big enough and quick enough to guard even the most versatile bigs (when he wants to be).

Offensively, Hammons is a tank that moves insanely well for how big he is. He can move defenders on the block seemingly at will, but his mobility is what takes his game to the next level on the offensive side of things.

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Like DX’s Mike Schmitz said in Hammons’ “Strengths” video, he can get up and down when he’s motivated (more on this later). On top of running in transition, DX has Hammons’ averages as a pick-and-roll finisher at 1.58 points per possession.

That’s in the 98th percentile. Imagine Jimmy Butler running pick-and-roll sets with a big like that.

Hammons can slip screens, set good screens with his size and finish at the rim with the best of them. In the post, he averaged 1.1 points per possession on post-ups over 284 possessions, which put him in the 94th percentile (according to DX).

Along with finishing like a true big, Hammons has the ability to stretch the floor with his soft shooting touch. He made six of his 11 attempts from three-point range this past season and his shot looks pure for a player of his size.

Weaknesses:

You probably noticed those little parts of “when he’s motivated” and “when he wants to be”.

That’s because Hammons isn’t always motivated. He’ll take plays off, he’ll lose track of the ball in the pick-and-roll, he won’t use his humongous body to stop a big from scoring on the block and he’ll get beat back on defense.

That’s where the concerns come in with him. Hammons isn’t always focused on the floor and it hurts what he could be. He’s got a solid feel for the game on both ends … when he wants to.

Other times, he’ll take long two-pointers, shots of the post while being doubled or let a guard go right past him in a pick-and-roll set for a bucket.

The motor isn’t always running and the head isn’t always focused on what lies ahead. He was suspended multiple times for violating team rules at Purdue. To hurt Hammons’ case more, he turns 24 years old this summer. That’s ancient for a draft prospect these days.

What helps Hammons’ cause could be his future coach: Fred Hoiberg.

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The Athletic Chicago’s Stephen Noh made a good point in a piece on a similar type of big — Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside — about Hoiberg taking in and working with players who have found trouble along the way.

"Hoiberg built his Iowa State program in part by getting transfers that didn’t fit at other schools. Royce White and DeAndre Kane became All Americans under Hoiberg. Iowa State was the late Bryce Dejean Jones’ third college program. He took in Chris Allen and Korie Lucious after they were dismissed from Michigan State for repeatedly violating team rules."

There may appear to be more red flags than positives when it comes to Hammons, but in the right landing spot, he could become a valuable weapon for a franchise in the future. He’s too talented not to.

He just has to want it.

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