R.J. Hampton, falling in the 2020 NBA Draft and landing with the Denver Nuggets, has the potential to be a top-tier point guard.
Shortly after being drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans with the 24th overall pick, the Denver Nuggets acquired point guard R.J. Hampton for a future first-round pick.
While the move was initially met with fanfare simply because of Hampton was the fifth-best high school prospect in just 2019, the fact that he was able to be taken so late in the first round is yet another reason to be excited.
With this trade, the Nuggets will add to their stable of sleepers for the third straight season.
2018 NBA Draft — Michael Porter Jr. (14th overall pick)
In 2018, the Nuggets used their pick to select forward Michael Porter Jr. with the 14th overall pick. Despite being the nation’s top high school player just a year earlier, MPJ nearly slipped out of the lottery before Denver snatched him up.
With question marks surrounding his health, the slip was not a huge surprise. The high school standout played just three games for the Missouri Tigers before suffering a back injury that all but ended his collegiate career before it even began.
However, many of the thirteen teams that picked ahead of the Nuggets in the 2018 NBA Draft are kicking themselves in 2020.
King James Gospel
With a long-term outlook, Denver chose to sit Porter in what should have been his rookie year. In 2019-20, while basically having a redshirt rookie season, the then 21-year-old Porter turned heads within the organization.
After scoring 15 points in his debut, MPJ ended the 2019-20 season averaging 9.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 16.4 minutes per game while shooting 50.9% from the field and 42.2% from behind the arc. In the bubble, Porter took another leap forward, averaging 22.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game (with a true shooting percentage of 69.5) during the seeding games.
2019 NBA Draft — Bol Bol (44th overall pick)
In the 2019 NBA Draft, Denver swung for the fences on an injury-plagued player with star potential again, this time in 7’2″ big man Bol Bol .Like Hampton, Bol was selected by another team (this time the Miami Heat) before being traded to the Nuggets.
Like both Hampton and Porter, Bol was a high school standout — the fourth-best prospect of his class — before committing to Oregon.
As a Duck, Bol continued his phenomenal play, averaging 21.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. Unlike his father Manute, Bol also developed a sweet jump shot and a myriad of other guard skills. Playing much more like a skilled power forward offensively than a center. Bol shot 56.1% from the field and an impressive 52.0% from dep.
Unfortunately, Bol’s college career was very similar to Porter’s as he played just nine games before suffering a season-ending stress fracture in his left foot.
Making his NBA debut during the NBA restart, Bol posted a respectable 5.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.9 blocks in 12.4 minutes per game; numbers that translate to 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 blocks per 36 minutes.
While it’s an inexact science, Bol’s physical gifts and efficiency — 50.0% shooting from the field and 44.4% from deep in 2019-20 — lend credence to the belief that he could have the type of impact those numbers suggest.
Home of the Sleepers
Much like MPJ and Bol before him, Hampton’s path to the NBA took an unexpected turn after being a top-five high school prospect.
Could Hampton join the list of sleepers for the Nuggets? Although Hampton’s talent is undeniable, his decision to bypass college — and programs like Duke, Kansas and Kentucky — ultimately hurt his draft stock quite a bit.
Like third overall pick LaMelo Ball, Hampton decided to take his talents overseas to play in Australia’s NBL. It should be noted thought that, against professionals and more matured adults, the 19-year-old held his own. In his lone season overseas, Hampton posted 8.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals for the New Zealand Breakers.
Fortunately, Hampton has professional experience on his side in case he’s thrust into a rotation role earlier than anticipated. In addition, though he sustained an injury prior to being drafted, his hip flexor was far less serious than Porter’s herniated disks or Bol’s stress fracture.
As a result, his long-term outlook has less risk and his immediate availability isn’t in question.
Will he make the experts pay this coming season? Only time will tell.
However, there’s no doubt that Nuggets have proven they know how to find diamonds in the rough, and Hampton can be the next one to shine in Denver.