Detroit Pistons: Is RJ Hampton worth the risk if they drop in draft lottery?

The cons

Given that the bet is on potential alone it should come as no surprise that RJ Hampton is extremely raw as a prospect. He is an inconsistent shooter and needs to make better decisions regarding the shots he is taking. Hampton also lacks some of the fundamentals thus far on defense and relies on poor habits that often get him taken advantage of, as seen on the video on the previous slide.

The injury last season also raises some flags going forward. While injuries to prep players are not rare, dealing with a hip injury going forward is absolutely something negative on his profile. Given the current situation, he has not been able to show how much he has truly recovered which will undoubtedly give some team’s pause going forward.

While Hampton is not my choice for the Detroit Pistons, the fact that a 19-year-old is a raw prospect should not be the end of the world. Plenty of younger players have been given opportunities and the flashes that Hampton shows are certainly enticing enough for him to have left high school as a projected top-five pick.

A team drafting at the back end of the top 10 will have to think long and hard on if the potential is worth the risks outlined in this section.