Chicago Bulls: 3 underrated options if they pick in top 5
1. RJ Hampton, Combo Guard
The final name on this list is one that had a very volatile 2020 NBA Draft stock since he wound up foregoing the traditional college hoops route and took his talents overseas to play in the NBL in Australia. The ultra-talented and lengthy 6-foot-5 and 185 pound combo guard RJ Hampton was a five-star recruit coming out of high school.
But Hampton was one of two major guard prospects for the 2020 NBA Draft that wound up taking their talents overseas to play in the NBL in Australia. Overseas, Hampton played in 15 games with the New Zealand Breakers. In those 15 games, he averaged 15.4 points per 36 minutes, 6.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.6 blocks.
He did all that while shooting 40.7 percent from the field, 29.5 percent from beyond the arc, and 67.9 percent from the free-throw line. Those shooting percentages are a bit concerning given that he was never a consistently great outside shooter in high school. The 2.7 turnovers per 36 minutes could also be problematic early in his NBA career since he tends to be a higher usage player.
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But there are a lot of positives to Hampton’s game too. Like Avdija, he is a very gifted playmaker and is very twitchy to shake opposing perimeter defenders and be a true threat driving the lane. He’s also at least an improving defender that doesn’t fall asleep off ball. The potential is clearly there with Hampton, and he would be an interesting fit with the Bulls. If he is one that rises up draft boards in the weeks leading up to the first round, then the Bulls should consider what he brings to the table.