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.