The New Orleans Pelicans need to continue to surround Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram with teammates to help them succeed. They have their point guard of the future in Lonzo Ball, but if they want to continue playing fast they need more size and playmaking.
RJ Hampton, who went down the same route as LaMelo Ball by playing in the Australian NBL, played for the New Zealand Breakers.
After a decorated high school career, he took his career down under, with mixed results. Unfortunately, Hampton was part of a team that had massive controversies off the court. He didn’t seem to enjoy his time with the team, and anyone could understand how this kind of stuff could impact an 18-year-old kid.
When they did get their act together on the court, Hampton went down with a hip injury, which was disappointing for him and the club.
There was still enough time for him to show what he had on court, even if he wasn’t getting the minutes that NBA scouts would have liked.
Hampton is a six-foot-five combo guard with a six-foot-seven wingspan. Though he is slim at 185 pounds, he already has a muscular physique and looks like he can build muscle easily.
His game is predicated on his NBA-level athleticism, where he projects to be a strong secondary playmaker with the potential to be a good shooter and above average finisher at the rim.
He ran the offense at times for the Breakers, and it’s probably tough to judge his passing on 20 odd games there. He may have a ceiling as a primary playmaker, but he is young and needs time to develop these skills.
He is right hand dominant but has shown the ability to finish a little with his left. Defensively, he waxed and waned with his time in the Breakers, but on this end it looks like he could be a plus.
He has nice shooting form and though he probably projects as a catch and shoot guy, there is a chance he can be an off the dribble shooter if his shot mechanics develop.
He has a good defensive body, and with his athleticism and defensive tools he should be able to guard ones and twos. He gets caught napping when playing off the ball, but this could be situation driven. In a system and environment where he is more comfortable, then his defensive skills could be highlighted more.
Hampton is a raw prospect who looks mature off the court and a hard worker on it, he made the most of a tough situation in New Zealand and would probably be a great fit on a team that needs more athleticism in the Pelicans.