Advertisement

Why the Detroit Pistons might look to New Zealand, Memphis for a steal in the draft

When RJ Hampton returned from his 15-game stint with the New Zealand Breakers in February, his mind shifted to the 2020 NBA draft. He prioritized improving his jump shot and overall strength, with the expectation that he could continue to build his case as a lottery pick with the help of in-person workouts and the combine.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the consensus 2019 top-five recruit has had far more time to work on his game. The draft is scheduled for Oct. 16, but will likely be pushed back even later as the league continues to solidify its plans for the 2020-21 season.

Mock draft 1.0: Pistons select their point guard of the future

Hampton has had ample time to address his weaknesses. Since April, he’s been training with Memphis head coach and former NBA star Penny Hardaway and former Memphis assistant and longtime sharpshooter Mike Miller. Hardaway and Miller recruited Hampton; the Tigers were the favorites to land him before he surprised some draft evaluators by deciding to play overseas.

The draft stock

A year ago, Hampton was widely considered a potential top-five draft pick. He’s now widely projected to go somewhere in the early-to-late teens, following an uneven season that showcased the innate athleticism and feel that made him a highly-recruited player, but also highlighted the areas he needs to improve.

USA Men's Junior National Team participant RJ Hampton participates in minicamp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Oct. 5, 2018.
USA Men's Junior National Team participant RJ Hampton participates in minicamp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Oct. 5, 2018.

Hampton, who turns 20 in February, is a gifted athlete with above-average size for a lead guard (6-foot-5 with a 6-7 wingspan). He prefers to do most of his scoring in the paint, and has upside as a playmaker and ball-handler. But he only hit 29.5% of his 3-pointers in New Zealand and struggled on defense at times due to an inability to consistently fight through screens.

For subscribers: Which Pistons stay, go for 2020-21 season

The Detroit Pistons have the No. 7 overall pick in this year’s draft, and have made it clear that they’ll use it to select the best player available.

With several teams reportedly willing to trade their picks, it’s also possible that the Pistons could move down and acquire an additional first-rounder.

Miller, a 40.7% 3-point shooter during his 17-year NBA tenure, understands what it takes to be consistent. And he is confident that Hampton’s shooting will become a strength in the NBA, unlocking the rest of his potential.

Jul 10, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; RJ Hampton arrives with his mother, Makita, and father, Rod Sr., on the red carpet at the 2019 ESPYs on July 10, 2019.
Jul 10, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; RJ Hampton arrives with his mother, Makita, and father, Rod Sr., on the red carpet at the 2019 ESPYs on July 10, 2019.

“I really truly believe that in two to three years, he’ll be a high 30s to low 40s 3-point shooter,” Miller said. “And if he does that, he’s a multi-time All Star and will write his own script because he has so many other things that you can’t teach.

“I’m proud of where he’s come. It’s night-and-day where he was and where he is now.”

'He’s got a lot of elite aspects'

Miller has long been a fan of Hampton. As an assistant for Memphis the last two seasons, he helped lead the charge to bring Hampton into the program. Hampton strongly considered joining the Tigers last spring, before deciding that the NBL would better prepare him for the NBA.

[ Pistons' No. 7 pick: Top international prospect, heralded bigs likely candidates ]

Even though Hampton spurned the Tigers, his relationship with Hardaway and Miller endured. After suffering a hip injury with the Breakers last December, he decided in February to cut his overseas season short to get back in playing shape and begin his draft preparations. In April, the Dallas native began driving to and from Memphis to train with the two former NBA players.

With Hardaway, Hampton has worked on improving his vision and passing. Miller’s focus has been turning him into a threat from outside.

“It was great for me because they were both mentors to me,” Hampton told the Free Press. "Mike and Penny, that’s probably one of the best things I have. I think that them taking the time with me now, with my pre-draft process, has helped.”

USA Men's Junior National Team participant RJ Hampton participates in minicamp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Oct. 6, 2018.
USA Men's Junior National Team participant RJ Hampton participates in minicamp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Oct. 6, 2018.

Miller believes Hampton is one of the best prospects in the draft. But his inconsistent shot mechanics hurt his overall consistency in New Zealand. That’s been a point of emphasis for them, and Miller has seen improvement in his shooting form. He called Hampton a “typical young shooter,” in that his footwork lacked discipline. But he said he believed Hampton already had a solid enough base to become a good shooter.

“The things I saw early, he had a lot of movement in it,” Miller said. “Typical young shooter. He had a lot of movement in his shot. Just understanding the framework of shots, simplifying things. We took a lot of the movement out, moved his placement up. He’s just way more consistent now.”

Hampton said he has become much better at having a down-and-ready stance so that when he receives the ball, he’s ready to launch a 3-pointer. He has also improved the elevation on his shot arc.

Given that he shot under 30% from 3-point range overseas, it would be a major leap for him to consistently shoot 40% in the NBA. But Miller believes he can do it, noting that if Hampton were to take 10,000 3s, 9,500 of them would be mechanically sound.

“Like Mike said, I definitely think that in a few years, I can be a high 30s to low 40s 3-point shooter,” Hampton said. “Just with everything he’s taught me, I feel like now, I’m super confident in my shot. I feel like every time I catch it, I’m open. It’s going up and I think it’s going in. I’m way more confident in my shot than I was a year ago. That’s a credit to mechanics and also just getting stronger.”

USA Men's Junior National Team participant RJ Hampton, center, Justin Lewis, left, and Jaden Hardy participate in minicamp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Oct. 6, 2018.
USA Men's Junior National Team participant RJ Hampton, center, Justin Lewis, left, and Jaden Hardy participate in minicamp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Oct. 6, 2018.

A consistent jumper would open up the floor for Hampton, whose size and speed has made him a surefire first-rounder. While he has other areas to improve, his shooting would ease the transition into the league.

For Miller, the unteachable aspects of Hampton’s game give him confidence in his star potential.

“He lives in the paint, gets where he wants on the floor, he’s got an amazing knack for the ball defensively with his hands,” Miller said. “He has an unbelievable feel for the game. You can sit in the gym all you want, you can’t teach those things. You can slightly improve your speed. Those are God-given things he has. And that’s why what I really appreciate with him is the things that you can’t control, he’s controlling right now. How do we continue to get better as a jump shooter? He understands where he’s at and where he wants to go.”

'I'm still the same player'

Given the uncertainty in this year’s draft — and lack of consensus on the best prospects — it’s tough to project who the Pistons will select. But Hampton is among the players the Pistons have done their homework on. He interviewed with general manager Troy Weaver about a month ago and felt encouraged by their conversation.

“You can tell he knows the game, you can tell he’s very detailed about the way he sees the game of basketball,” Hampton said of Weaver. “That’s why he was very in-depth with his conversation. He seems like a really smart guy. Knows a lot about the game.”

Historically, in-person workouts and the combine have given players a path to improve their draft stock after their seasons end. Donovan Mitchell was a major beneficiary from the traditional draft process in 2017, as many Pistons fans will remember.

Without a combine or in-person workouts to showcase his improvement, Hampton’s focus has been nailing his Zoom conferences. He wants teams to know that he still believes he can live up to the potential of being a highly recruited five-star player.

“The biggest thing is I feel like I have such a misconception from the last year,” Hampton said. “I feel like I’m still that same player that was talked about as being that guy. I feel like I can come into any franchise and do what the team needs me to do at a very high level.”

Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. The Free Press has started a new digital subscription model. Here's how you can gain access to our most exclusive Pistons content. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why the Detroit Pistons might look to New Zealand for a draft steal