The official OKC Thunder Big board 1.0
By Rylan Stiles
7) RJ Hampton, G, NBL
If you ask our site expert, Tamberlyn Richardson, she will be shocked to find RJ Hampton this low. I have spent the last few months talking her ear off about how much I love RJ Hampton’s game, so even having him all the way down at 7 pains me a little bit. I think he has the highest upside in this year’s NBA Draft class, but Hampton has gotten off to a bit of a rough start in the NBL while LaMelo Ball steals all the headlines.
Hampton took on the OKC Thunder in this year’s NBA preseason where he posted eight points and five assists and showed his potential
Some came away underwhelmed with RJ Hampton’s NBA preseason but I am not leaving Hampton island under any circumstances.
Hampton was ESPN’s 5th rated prospect for the 2019 recruiting class, and even made his decision to go pro live on ESPN’s morning show “Get up!” Hampton was heavily recruited by Kansas, Duke, Kentucky, and Memphis while in high school. He told Barstool’s Pardon My Take that if he was not playing for the Breakers (A team in which Barstool has an ownership stake in) he would’ve committed to Kansas University playing his college ball with the Jayhawks.
The 6’5 185 pound Texas native is an obvious lock for this year’s NBA Draft and is as smooth as they come at the guard position. If the OKC Thunder paired Hampton with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander they would have the smoothest pair of guards in the league. His feel for the game and ability to handle the basketball has NBA scouts excited. His mid-range game and attacking the rim is his best asset offensively but when he gets to the rim he at times struggles to finish through contact.
Hampton also needs to figure out his long-range jump shot. His great size and IQ make him a pro-ready player right out of high school not to mention his year of ABL seasoning by the time the NBA Draft rolls around. The OKC Thunder has gone to the ABL well before selecting Terrance Ferguson in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft.
Of course, refer back to LaMelo Ball’s slide to see when those two ABL stars and future NBA top prospects will clash on the hardwood down under. If you’re a big ABL fan please tell us in the comment section or on Twitter what other matchups could be must-watch for Ball and Hampton.