No single player has improved his draft stock over the course of the last two years as much as Virginia standout De'Andre Hunter.
The Third Team All-American showed some promise as a freshman at UVA, averaging 9.2 points and 3.5 rebounds on just 19.9 minutes per game. When he was thrust into a starting role this past season, Hunter excelled, averaging 15.2 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 55 percent from the field in Tony Bennett's halfcourt offense.
Hunter was even more electric in the national championship game against Texas Tech, scoring 27 points–25 in the second half alone–and drilling a a game-tying three with 13 seconds left that sent the contest to overtime, when the Cavaliers won.
As the 2019 NBA Draft approaches, De'Andre Hunter is a shoe-in to go in the top 10, and may even be selected in the top five. What else should NBA fans know about Hunter, and how might he project as a pro?
Strengths
The most evident strength De'Andre Hunter brings to the table is his combination of size and quickness, particularly on the defensive end. At 6-7 and 225 pounds, he is long and strong enough to defend bigger forwards, while also being capable of causing problems for two guards because of his physicality.
Hunter completely took Texas Tech star Jarrett Culver out of the national championship game. Culver was just 5 of 22 from the floor and looked helpless to create space against the bigger Hunter.
The Wynnewood, Pa., native is equally as versatile on the offensive end. Hunter shot nearly 44 percent beyond the arc–albeit on just under three attempts per game–and can create space for himself using his size while also getting to line. He also has some sneaky athleticism.
Arguably the biggest strength for Hunter is reflected in the year-over-year growth he experienced at Virginia, where he was undoubtedly the most dangerous player on a championship team. Those intangibles are invaluable for any player coming out of college, and winning pedigrees usually speak to character as much as anything else.
Weaknesses
While Hunter can jump and has good lateral quickness, he does not exactly have “burner” speed. He may have been able to use his size to score in college, but nearly everything in the NBA is bigger.
This is a bit more concerning, considering that Hunter is not a very good ball-handler or playmaker. He averaged just two assists per game in his sophomore season, and most of his work came either in the paint or in more of a catch-and-shoot capacity.
Hunter is going to need to develop either as a shot creator, or develop more of a comfort level in stretching his game to the perimeter and becoming more of a jump shooter.
Player comparison: Kawhi Leonard
Okay, so these are lofty expectations, and Hunter would surely be thrilled to be as good as the Toronto Raptors superstar… but the similarities are abundant.
Both players can guard multiple positions in part due to their size, strength and quickness. Coming out of San Diego State, Leonard also excelled in the paint and lacked the kind of shot-creating abilities that he now owns so fully.
Fortunately for Leonard, he was drafted into a Spurs organization that seems to routinely churn out tremendous NBA players, and has since evolved into one of the best players in the league.
Whether De'Andre Hunter will experience the same luck is somewhat unlikely (there is only one Gregg Popovich), but the two have plenty of shared qualities.
Best fits: Bulls and Wizards
There is a chance that Hunter will be selected before any of these teams are even on the clock, but they may provide the best fits all the same.
The Bulls have Zach LaVine and Otto Porter at the two and the three, but De'Andre Hunter would still get a ton of minutes off the bench and immediately become an integral part of Chicago's defense under Jim Boylen. Offensively, LaVine is already the primary shot-creator, and Lauri Markkanen's ability to space the floor would provide a lot of room for Hunter to operate both on the perimeter and around the rim.
In Washington, the Wizards need a small forward. John Wall will be out for about half of next season, but Bradley Beal has become one of the best playmakers in the NBA, and Hunter would complement his skill set very nicely.
Both teams would likely salivate at a potential chance to draft De'Andre Hunter, if he falls that far down the board.
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