The draft stock of the National Champion Virginia Cavaliers forward De’Andre Hunter didn’t rise as far as it could have following his clutch performance in the national title game against Texas Tech. Hunter came in clutch in the second half and in overtime against Texas Tech to give Tony Bennett his first ever title in Charlottesville.
There’s so much to like, but also a lot of cause for concern about how Hunter will adapt his skill set to the next level. Hunter usually left this feeling with basketball fans that he always left something on the table and never consistently left it all out on the court. Virginia did get his best efforts during the stretch run of the national title game, but didn’t throughout the entire 2018-19 season.
What Hunter did do for the Hoos was shot better than 50 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from beyond the arc. The Chicago Bulls could obviously use a wing that is a solid two-way talent that can shoot better than 40 percent from three-point range. He also posted a player efficiency rating of 24.3 and 7.3 win shares during his sophomore season.
ESPN’s 2019 NBA Draft Big Board ranks Hunter as the fifth best prospect in this class overall. His stat line and physical tools give the idea that he’s well worth a top five pick in this draft. The mindset that NBA fans just can’t seem to shake is the fact that Hunter might not have the motivation level required to excel at the next level.