Showtime23 wrote:MeloRoseNoah wrote:GimmeDat wrote:Hunter is an extremely efficient offensive player, and he's a seriously good defender (only thing holding him back from elite status is steal/block rates imo).
But I don't see the ceiling with him. I thought I did after his freshman season, but now it feels like his limitations are a bit more clear. He's like a 3/D combo-forward. He doesn't have the offensive fluidity or skill flashes to be a guy that really turns in to a high upside offensive player, from what I saw this season.
A top ranked defensive player who can give you 15 pts, 6-7 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block at a .600+ TS is a very valuable player on a championship contending team. In fact, that kind of productive is on the same level as Luol Deng, who is a two time All Star in the NBA.
Think he will end up being rich man's Mikal Bridges. Production will be similar to Deng with elite shooting close to Porter's but worse slashing ability. 3rd/4th option on a championship contending team is very valuable.
That 7'2" wingspan tho is tantalizing. If he somehow tightens his handles, PG13 is his absolute ceiling.
One thing I'd point out about the Mikal comparison is that while they both shot 40%+ from 3, Mikal took 7 attempts per 40, Hunter 3, and while Mikal shot 85% from the line, Deandre shot 78%. I have no doubt that Hunter is a good shooter, but he's far from prolific or providing the same spacing impact as a Mikal. Also Mikal's STL/BLK rates were almost double Hunter's, so he's a bit more disruptive on the defensive end (Hunter's still excellent).
As for the on-ball creation stuff, I think that will largely be reduced in the NBA. He has a bit of a mid-post game, but I think that'll largely be saved for exploiting clear mismatches, and other than the occasional pull-up off a strong closeout, I think he's more or less going to be a 3/D guy at the next level. I don't think it's likely he's going to be a 15+ppg guy.
But there's no doubt he's a 'winner' and a guy that will look great in on/off stats. Plays the game the right way, extremely smart on both ends of the floor, an elite and super versatile defender, and will knock down open shots.
But here's something worth considering that goes against that - Hunter's team played at one of the slowest paces in college basketball and he still scored 19pp/40. But you know, sometimes older college players put up big numbers that don't necessarily translate, and Hunter is older than most people realize because he redshirted - he'll be 22 in December. So that's why I'm hesitant, because I think the actual skill-set is a little cerebral offensively.
Another positive take on Hunter (via Duke4Life) -
Barrett:
38% of shots at the rim
64% FG% at the rim
36% of shots at the rim were assisted on
.319 FT rate
Hunter:
35% of shots at the rim
68% FG% at the rim
33% of shots at the rim were assisted on
.398 FT rate
Its weird how one guy is known for being able to get his, while the other is known as a guy that cant create off the dribble. Its pretty crazy how powerful narratives can be. This also doesn't take into effect things like
3pt%:
RJ: 30%
Hunter: 43%
FT%:
RJ: 66%
Hunter 78%
Wingspan:
RJ: 6'10"
Hunter: 7'2"