New Sports Illustrated mock sees Boston take Hampton, 3 bigs

Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo sees Boston taking the NBL’s RJ Hampton 17th overall — and three big men after.

No. 17 overall – RJ Hampton – guard – New Zealand Breakers

Hampton, a highly-rated prospect who stumbled after a rough, injury-plagued season in Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL), slips to Boston in this scenario.

RJ Hampton (72): Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

There are some significant red flags that caused him to fall from among the top prospects of the 2020 draft — most notably his continued issues with getting the ball to go through the hoop.

But at just 19 and standing 6-foot-5, Hampton could still turn it around — though it seems unlikely a team with such a strong need for bench scoring would go for a prospect unlikely to become a star with limited offensive skills.