Virginia Basketball: Early 2019 NBA Draft look at De’Andre Hunter
By Derek Taylor
De’Andre Hunter became the second Virginia Basketball player to declare for the NBA Draft. For good reason, he’s expected to get picked early in the first round.
Virginia’s De’Andre Hunter joined Ty Jerome in announcing his declaration for the NBA draft. Hunter completed two years at UVA. At the end of his first season, he suffered an injury that caused him to miss the NCAA Tournament. He wanted to return to Virginia Basketball because he believed that he could help the Hoos achieve something special. After being part of the winning NCAA Championship team, Hunter is ready to move on to the next level.
Hunter is 6’7 and 225 pounds. Last season, he averaged 15.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and two assists in UVA’s low-possession offense. ESPN ranks him at number 5 on its list of NBA prospects. Here’s a breakdown of what he does well and what he’ll need to work on.
Scoring
The key word is balance. Hunter is a reliable and efficient scorer at all three levels. At Virginia, 34.8% of his shots came at the rim, 38.6% were mid-range jumpers, and 26.6% were three-point attempts.
While Hunter does often simply try to will himself to the rim, he can use the spin move in isolation to get an easy look.
An effective pump fake and pass fake often sufficed to help Hunter create driving space for himself. He also has an easier time getting to the rim because defenders have to respect his ability to shoot the three or pull up for a mid-range jumper. Although he tends to catch facing the basket, he gives himself a fighting chance down low. Still, he usually settles for more difficult fade-away jumpers.
Hunter does lack creativity from behind the arc. His handle isn’t solid and he doesn’t often create his shot. Although his release isn’t quick, either, he was, statistically speaking, one of the nation’s best at catching-and-shooting with a hand in his face. Overall, he converted 43.8% of his three-point opportunities.
When he’s passive, he’s settling for jumpers and he’s soft with the ball. In the NCAA Tournament, he regularly turned up his game in the second half. He became more aggressive and was somebody whom his teammates looked to feed for crucial points.
Defending
Last season, Hunter was named the ACC’s Defender of the Year. Again, Hunter can basically do everything. He guards 1-through-4. On the one hand, he’s strong and long. He can get bumped by a screener and still fight through the screen and use his length to contest his opponent’s shot.
He can also battle down low with Zion Williamson. He helped limit Zion to one of his lowest point totals and number of shot attempts on the season by denying him post position.
On the other hand, Hunter has nice lateral quickness with which to stay in front of his man. He moves his feet well while keeping his arms straight up in the air to avoid committing a foul.
It is difficult to dribble penetrate into the lane and get a decent look at the basket against Hunter.
His laid-back personality is evident on defense, too. Hunter does not block a lot of shots, but he also doesn’t take many chances and he is good about not fouling. He could develop into a more dangerous shot-blocker and he has proven able to be one especially when providing help in the paint.
Summary
The two words that I find best describe Hunter’s game are completeness and versatility. He doesn’t do one thing amazingly, but he does a lot of things very well.
On offense, he’s effective at all three levels. In the NCAA Tournament, with the Purdue game on the line, he woke up from a game-long slumber and helped carry his team by willing his way to the basket several times. This is the kind of aggression that Hunter is capable of and that he thrives with.
On defense, Hunter is great at keeping his man in front of him and forcing him to take bad shots. He hardly commits fouls, whether he’s protecting the rim or fighting through a screen.
The biggest worries I have about Hunter are on offense. He doesn’t draw fouls at a high rate and doesn’t absorb contact well on the way to the rim. His tendency to simply drive to the basket makes him susceptible to charges–he incurred two, for instance, against North Carolina.
Early ACC Power rankings of 2019-20. dark. Next
His handle also needs a lot of work. Between Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy, he was definitely the least trusted dribbler. When he tried to create his own shot, he sometimes missed the basket completely because he couldn’t maintain control of the ball well enough. His unimpressive handle also hampers his driving ability. When he starts out in the NBA, he’ll likely be attempting way more threes than he ever has before.