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There seems to be no 2015 prospect with less of a consensus established around his value than R.J. Hunter. Some call him the greatest shooter in the draft; others scoff at his 3P% this past season and leave him out of the first round entirely on draft boards.
Whatever he is, he’s an enigma, and that’s why the Toronto Raptors should consider taking him at No. 20 in this June’s NBA draft. GM Masai Ujiri is known for his ability to find diamonds in the rough through the draft (e.g. Kenneth Faried at No. 22), and Hunter could well be the next one.
The main point of contention about Hunter is obviously his outside shot. He made just 31 percent of his 3-pointers in 2014/15, much to the alarm of scouts, fans and mock draft writers everywhere. I, however, am not overly worried about this down year. First of all, it was indeed a down year; he shot 40 percent and 37 from three in his two previous seasons. Second of all, Hunter didn’t appear to get worse at pure shooting; he hit 88 percent of his free throws in 2014/15. For reference, Stephen Curry hit 88 percent of his free throws in his final college season.
One barrier that stands in the way of translating elite free throw shooting to elite in-game shooting is Hunter’s low release point on his shot, and this is where we venture so far into the unknown. Will Hunter be able to raise his release point once in the league? Will he, like Curry, be able to make up for it by having an extremely quick release? Will it be a fatal flaw? We just don’t know.
I do mention Curry for a reason, though. Of all players in this draft, Hunter seems like the guy with the largest “Curry factor” – that potential to be a true star in the NBA despite a litany of scouting red flags. His shot and overall game, like Curry’s, is buttery smooth and effortless. He’s not nearly the passer Curry is, but with a pick late in the first round you can’t have everything. You have to bank on improvement within a player, and that’s exactly how I think Ujiri’s mind works.
Hunter is not the greatest roster fit for the Raptors, but that could all change with trades and/or free agent signings. I’ve suggested trading DeMar DeRozan, and Lou Williams walking in free agency would also open up space in the back court. If some of the Raptors’ target power forwards get taken before No. 20, I’d be fully behind taking a flier on Hunter.
Casey Sherman is the Toronto Raptors Beat Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @shermham
