After a robust finish to final yr, there have been a number of questions surrounding guard R.J. Hampton coming into his second season.
How a lot would Hampton’s success with the Magic, which included him being named the Japanese Convention Rookie of the Month for Could, translate after being traded from Denver in March 2021?
What position would first-year Magic coach Jamahl Mosley and his employees envision for Hampton? And the way would Hampton match alongside the ballhandlers/guards he didn’t play with final season?
Hampton’s 2021-22 season offered readability for a few of these questions, however others stay.
Hampton averaged 7.6 factors, 3 rebounds and a pair of.5 assists in 21.9 minutes (64 video games, 14 begins) in his sophomore season.
His manufacturing was down from the 11.2 factors, 5 rebounds and a pair of.8 assists (25.2 minutes) that he averaged in his 26 video games with the Magic final yr due to his position change and utilization, in addition to a decline in effectivity on the rim.
With the drafting of Jalen Suggs and the late-season comeback of Markelle Fultz, Hampton wasn’t the first ballhandler as regularly.
For Hampton, that meant fewer alternatives to run the offense in a conventional sense — being the ballhandler in pick-and-rolls.
Hampton’s most frequent play kind in Orlando’s offense was because the pick-and-roll ballhandler (33.8%), with the Magic scoring 0.7 factors per possession on these performs.
He was concerned in fewer pick-and-rolls this previous season (22.8% frequency because the pick-and-roll ballhandler), with extra of his utilization coming in spot-up conditions (28.2% frequency in comparison with final season’s 21.8%) and handoffs (9.6% in comparison with 5.2%).
Handoffs had been a staple of Mosley’s offense, with the Magic main the league in handoff frequency at 7.8%.
“Typically you fall into a number of dribbling,” Mosley stated. “The dribble handoff lets you get direct line drives to a rim. Whenever you dribble handoff or throw-and-go, it permits the protection to be within the protection. For younger guys, it permits seeing precisely what that protection is.
“Typically in case you’re driving within the pick-and-rolls, you don’t acknowledge what that large or guard is doing. The dribble handoff forces you to know precisely what’s taking place.”
An issue for Hampton was that these drives to the basket weren’t as fruitful as they had been a yr in the past.
Hampton shot 33% on his 6.7 drives per sport through the 2021-22 season, down from 43.4% on 4.7 drives. Along with his dimension (6-6), velocity and athleticism, stepping into the paint hasn’t been a difficulty for Hampton however ending on the rim has.
He shot 49% (62-for-126) inside 4 ft of the rim, a subpar mark for a combo guard, in line with Cleansing The Glass, after making 68% (38 of 56) with the Magic throughout 2020-21. Hampton didn’t have the perfect management on his drives and didn’t present the power to complete via contact.
Hampton’s course of as a playmaker was up and down, leading to an 11.6% turnover fee (20.7% in pick-and-rolls, 17.5% on handoffs). He’d make the fitting reads, however the timing on his passes can be off.
His defensive enhancements had been notable and his refined taking pictures from past the arc helped make the transition to a extra off-ball position smoother.
Hampton made 35% of his 2.9 3-point makes an attempt after changing 31.9% of his 2.7 makes an attempt with the Magic his rookie season. After a sizzling begin (41.7% on 3s in his first 29 video games), his outdoors taking pictures tailed (30.6% in his ultimate 35 video games).
Hampton’s four-game absence due to well being and security protocols and 14-game absence due to a medial collateral ligament sprain and bone bruise in his left knee didn’t assist his rhythm.
This offseason and the 2022-23 season will likely be essential for Hampton, the No. 24 choose within the 2020 draft. He’s coming into the third yr of his rookie-scale contract, with a $4.22 million group choice for the 2023-24 season.
Hampton made enhancements in some areas whereas regressing in others. The query heading into subsequent yr will likely be which step will he absorb his improvement.
This text first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. E mail Khobi Value at khprice@orlandosentinel.com or comply with him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
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