Sir Charles in Charge
Fansided

NBA Mock Draft 9.0: LaMelo Ball falls out of the top 3; Knicks snag Obi Toppin

By Michael Saenz

NBA Draft prospect Killian Hayes (Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
NBA Draft prospect Killian Hayes (Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
17 of 31
Next
NBA Draft
NBA Draft prospect RJ Hampton (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images) /

16. Portland Trail Blazers – RJ Hampton, G, New Zealand

Selection and commentary: Matt Modderno 

The Portland Trail Blazers need wings. Desperately. And RJ Hampton is a wing with a lot of potential at this point in the draft. He has good athleticism and playmaking ability that would make him a good fit next to Portland’s score-first guards.

He’s still very raw and doesn’t have an elite skill at this point. He projects as a good defender in the long run with his length and quickness but he isn’t there yet. Some added strength and lots of time in the film room should help him grow a lot defensively though.

The real swing skill for Hampton will be his shooting. Being a threat to shoot will force defenders to play up on him which will allow him to use a quick first step to drive by them. It’s also just harder to stay on the court in today’s NBA if you can’t shoot it.

Portland has a strong culture and that should help Hampton mature. The Blazers also haven’t shied away from taking projects like Anfernee Simons and Nassir Little.