2022 Orlando Magic Player Outlook: R.J. Hampton has opportunity to take the NBA by storm

The Orlando Magic have intriguing young players on the roster. And individually, each player has unique upsides. But R.J. Hampton is one of the biggest mysteries on the roster.

Reportedly growing three inches in the offseason to hit 6-foot-7 — he confirmed to Josh Robbins of The Athletic he grew to at least 6-foot-6 — and with his speed combined with his improving offensive game, Hampton has the potential to be great.

Hampton is a highlight waiting to happen and is the biggest mystery on this Magic roster. Hampton has the highest ceiling of the sophomore players on the roster. He just needs the development to learn how to use his skills to the best of his ability.

He has earned comparisons to a young John Wall. Both players, at a young age, have the elite skill of speed. Once Wall learned how to use his strengths to the best of his ability, he became an all-star.

Only time will tell if Hampton will become a star, but, has the potential to be a special player. And he showed that in his short time with the Magic.

R.J. Hampton tantalized with his potential in his short finish with the Orlando Magic. In his second season, he has to find consistency and pace to build forward.

Hampton had his ups and downs. But with his flashes, he must find his consistency.

Out of all of the young players on the roster, Hampton has the smallest sample size as he did not get much playing time in Denver before the trade at 9.3 minutes per game.

However, once Hampton arrived in Orlando, he began to show flashes of what he can become.

With the Magic, Hampton averaged 11.2 points per game, 5.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting a 48.2-percent effective field goal percentage in 25.2 minutes per game. He was given a ton of minutes and made the most of them.

This included taking home the NBA’s Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in May. It was a strong kick to finish the season — even if some of those stats should come with a warning. Still, it was better to see Hampton put up numbers in garbage time than not be able to put those numbers up at all.

He flirted with trouble-doubles in the final stretch of the season. In a game against the Detroit Pistons, Hampton put up 16 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. It was a hint of what Hampton could do when given the time and a bit of freedom.

That is the first place to start with any young player. Opportunity is vital for any young player. It will be vital for him moving forward.

Even the Denver Nuggets knew they could not give him the kind of playing time to flourish. With their chase to win a championship, they did not have time to let the raw guard prospect get the reps he needed to develop. Orlando proved a perfect situation to grow.

But even last season’s sprint to the finish did not put Hampton in the best situation. He got time, but also little direction with the team sitting players down the stretch. Hampton was often the best player in a lineup of players who would not be in the NBA much longer.

One can assume once Hampton starts to play with a consistent lineup, he is going to be more consistent.

The biggest problem with Hampton going into the previous season was his shooting. This was a major issue he faced entering the draft process.

However, as time has gone on, he has improved as a shooter. With the Nuggets, Hampton shot 27.8-percent from three on 0.7 attempts per game. In Orlando, Hampton shot 31.9-percent from beyond the arc on 2.7 attempts per game.

Then in Summer League, Hampton shot 44.4-percent from three on 5.5 attempts per game. Although it is a smaller sample size, the pattern follows that as he attempts more and he is shooting better, he can improve. That will unlock much of his game especially with the threat of his downhill attack toward the basket.

Regardless of the numbers, his mechanics of shooting is improved from last season.

Even last year, Hampton showed an improved 3-point stroke. He hit on 8 of his 17 shots from the corner three in his time with the Magic. There were always hints of what Hampton could contribute even as coach Steve Clifford brought him along slowly and tried to simplify his role.

It was clear with the way he could attack in transition and push the ball that the team could put him on the ball more, giving them several versatile options including Hampton to put at point guard.

Still, there are some questions about where Hampton ultimately fits in. There is talk Hampton could slide to small forward — he played nine percent of his minutes there last year with the Magic according to Basketball-Reference.

Orlando has a lot of young players specifically at guard. It is still hard to see how everyone gets the proper playing time. An 11-man rotation is tough to piece together. There might be some nights where Hampton does not play or some other young player does not play every night.

This will be part of the internal competition that takes place throughout the season.

For Hampton to reach his potential, he will have to smooth out the edges of his game. At this point, the samples are too small and Hampton has only shown glimmers of a productive NBA player.

Hampton will have to cut down on turnovers. There were times where Hampton would force action and would lead to wild passes, but as time passes Hampton will learn how to pick his spots better.

Overall, Hampton posted a 12.9-percent turnover rate with the Magic, the third-highest among the Magic’s primary ball handlers (both Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony had higher rates). But it is also important to remember the Magic intentionally kept Hampton off the ball for this reason.

Offensively, Hampton will need to further his offensive game in the half-court.

In transition, Hampton can fill the lanes and finish above the rim. His half-court game will improve as he improves as a shooter.

Hampton is an unselfish player who makes the right play. With time, he will have more space and his overall game will be more effective.

Defensively, Hampton has the size and athleticism to be a good defender. Hampton will have to find ways to improve defensively.

Hampton only averaged 0.6 steals per game but had an underwhelming 118.5 defensive rating, which is below average that slates at 112. Hampton needs to improve as a defender if he wants to reach the next level of his game.

However, just like his offense, once he learns to use his speed and athleticism to his advantage, he will improve on that end of the floor.

Aiding his development will be newly hired head coach Jahaml Mosley who has a more aggressive approach on the defensive end of the court instead of Steve Clifford’s more safe approach.

In the end, Hampton will have multiple opportunities. And, as time goes on, Hampton will continue to improve, and his game will grow.

Former Magic forward and Memphis coach Mike Miller believes R.J. Hampton has the potential to be an all-star. With his size and athleticism, he might very well hit that level.

Only time will tell, but this season will allow Hampton to take the league by storm.