Potential is so much fun to talk about and hope for but how long until potential does not pan out? In most jobs, it is a while. But in the NBA, you have a quick time to show you are meant to be in this league.
There is always someone new coming for your spot. And the clock is always ticking if a player is struggling to cut it. The margin for error gets smaller and smaller.
R.J. Hampton is coming into his third year in the league on his second team. His potential is sky high. But he must show his potential is worth buying into on the court before the Orlando Magic look to go other ways.
R.J. Hampton is an undoubtedly talented player. But the young guard has struggled to find his footing and soon potential needs to become production for him to find his place in the NBA.
In his first two years, his career averages are 7.6 points per game, 2.1 assists per game and 3..2 rebounds per game on shooting splits of 40.4/33.7/65.3. These are not bad numbers. But with the potential he has, you would like to see more.
That was certainly the case last year as Hampton struggled to make a positive impact. He put up some numbers but was also on the floor for some of the Magic’s worst lineups — the Magic had a -14.5 net rating with Hampton on the floor a sign both that he was on the floor with the team’s worst lineups and that he struggled to make a measurable impact.
Hampton was going to struggle to stay in the rotation without growth — and his Summer League run did not inspire much confidence. But injuries to Gary Harris and Markelle Fultz before training camp have opened the path for him to make his mark again.
He is already a solid and improving player he just needs to show that he is getting better and working hard.
Offensively he has improved in some areas but has struggled in others.
In high school and in New Zealand, where he played before the NBA instead of college, he was an athletic drive-first player who could finish at the rim and produce some high-flying dunks. He shot 25.5 percent from three in New Zealand as well.
He has been quite the opposite for the Magic so far. He was one of the most consistent shooters for the Magic and shot 35.0 percent from three last year. That would have been higher if he did not go through a slump in April (he shot 37.9 percent before April).
His three-point shooting showed great improvement as this was way better than his previous season of shooting 31.0 percent. His three-point shooting will continue to get better.
He just needs to be a little more consistent.
He had two months where he shot better than 45 percent but two months where he shot worse than 30 percent. He has shown he is constantly working on his shoot and there should be no doubt that consistency will come with that.
He shot 39.8 percent on catch and shoot threes which is fantastic. He needs to keep that up and work on his shot off the dribble as well.
However, he needs to show that he can still take it to the rim and that he is not just turned into a shooter.
Hampton, who is an athletic beast, has not been so great at the rim, which is very surprising considering this was all that you saw from him before getting drafted.
Last year he shot just 43.3 percent from within 10 feet of the basket and 52.5 percent from within three feet. Those numbers are not great especially for someone with his athleticism and finishing ability. Most of his shots (52.1 percent) came from within 10 feet, so he needs to convert more if he is going to shoot those shots so often.
He is extremely athletic and has great hang time. He is great at contorting his body in mid-air and finding the best shots in the paint. They just were not falling this past season.
He is at his best and looks the most comfortable in dribble penetration and driving to the hoop, he just needs a little work on his touch around the rim. This will surely click for him as he got the NBA off of his finishing ability.
It is not always easy to translate skills from high school to college or pro to the NBA, but he has shown he can improve. This is something he was already good at.
He is also a great cutter to the basket. He is quick and can run right by his defender when they are caught off guard. He has a great sense of when to cut.
But like so many things with Hampton, it is about slowing his game down and finding the poise to finish. That is a big part of Hampton’s next development.
He has already shown improvement in his first preseason game. He had 14 points on 54.5-percent shooting in Monday’s loss ot the Memphis Grizzlies. He made two really nice drives to the basket as well as an off-the-dribble mid-range shot, and two three-pointers.
More importantly, he played with significantly more poise. He was patient and seemed in control. Those are positive signs for Hampton and the Magic as he tries to make his mark.
His playmaking has so much potential as well. If he can actually be a better finisher at the rim like he is expected to be that will open up so many opportunities for drive and kick shots.
He averaged 2.5 assists but has shown flashes of great playmaking ability. He could probably raise those numbers.
He even showed a little bit of what may be to come in his first preseason game. He had seven assists with his 14 points and three rebounds.
He showed an amazing ability to be able to run an offense, make the right play, and drive and kick. His seven assists lead to 19 points and five three-pointers made. If he can run the offense and continue to set up his teammates, he will surely be here to stay in a Magic uniform.
Of course, that is not what he did last year. Last year was a tremendous struggle for him. So these are all positive signs. Hampton still has a lot he needs to prove to see the floor consistently.
Offensively he is already looking better but defensively is where he really needs to get better.
He has the athleticism, the quickness, and the tools to be a great defender, he has just not adjusted to playing defense in the NBA.
He has a career defensive rating of 114.1, but had a career-high last year of 113.9. Although that is still a little worse than average, he is showing improvement. The Magic have long said defense is where Hampton can make his biggest impact.
That impact is still uncertain, like so much else of Hampton’s game.
Opposing players shot 50.3 percent from the floor against him and shot 57.8 percent from two against him. He did a great job at defending the three but he needs to be able to guard inside the arc.
Allowing opposing players to make about half their shots is not what a struggling defensive Magic team can afford to have out there. He has the ability to be a good defender, he just needs to show it on the court.
Still, the potential is undeniable and clear.
Overall, Hampton has the potential to be one of the best backup guards in the league. But in the NBA you have to show that rather quickly.
He has to show improvement this coming year, but it looks like he is ready to handle that challenge.
He does not have to be the star of the team, but he needs to play his role, and play his role at a high level. When Hampton is at his best, he is a spark off the Magic bench that makes the second unit so tough to defend.
He has shown flashes as a great scorer, passer, and defender, but these flashes have to start to turn into more than that. He is a former. first-round pick, so his expectations are high and he looks like he is ready to prove that he was meant to be a first-rounder in this league.
If the first preseason game is any indication of what is to come for Hampton this season, the Magic may have found their backup