The 2020 NBA Draft isn’t viewed as particularly top-heavy, but it looks like there is some depth in the class.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, with the No. 25 pick, hope to find a diamond in the end of the first round.
They have done some due diligence about guard R.J. Hampton, who played in New Zealand last season.
Hampton said in a Zoom press conference in late September that the Thunder were among the teams he interviewed with over summer.
“I feel like I would fit great,” he said. “The Thunder, they run that three-guard system. Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander) is, you know, a great young guard that I kind of take bits and pieces from his game and put into mine.”
Hampton, listed at 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-7 wingspan, is an athletic, fast guard who reads the court well. Playing in New Zealand, he showed how he was able to use his speed to his advantage and lead an offense.
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If the Thunder draft him and do not make any major trades, he would be paired with Gilgeous-Alexander, Dennis Schroder and Chris Paul in the back court.
Hampton also spoke about the longtime All-Star.
“You can call him one of the best point guards of all time,” Hampton said. “Those two people right there (Paul and Gilgeous-Alexander), I kind of mix between their games, and I would definitely like that.”
A major concern with Hampton is his shot. He made just below 30% of his 3s in New Zealand. He has worked on his form over summer though, training with former NBA sharpshooter Mike Miller and former NBA star Penny Hardaway.
There’s certainly a viable path for him to become an NBA player, especially if that form is corrected. He has already played against NBA players.
In the preseason in 2019, his New Zealand Breakers faced off against the Thunder.
“It helped me a lot. Being 18, playing against an NBA team, a lot of 18-year-olds don’t get that opportunity, so it was definitely a learning experience, Hampton said. “I think I’ve grown so much since then.
If Oklahoma City does want him, they may need to move up in the draft. Hampton said he was also interviewed by the Sacramento Kings, Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards, all of whom draft higher than the Thunder and several in the top-10.
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