R.J. Hampton takes steps in development, establishing role with Magic

After a strong end to last year, there were multiple questions surrounding guard R.J. Hampton entering his second season.

How much would Hampton’s success with the Magic, which included him being named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for May, translate after being traded from Denver in March 2021?

What role would first-year Magic coach Jamahl Mosley and his staff envision for Hampton? And how would Hampton fit alongside the ballhandlers/guards he didn’t play with last season?

Hampton’s 2021-22 season provided clarity for some of those questions, but others remain.

Hampton averaged 7.6 points, 3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 21.9 minutes (64 games, 14 starts) in his sophomore season.

His production was down from the 11.2 points, 5 rebounds and 2.8 assists (25.2 minutes) that he averaged in his 26 games with the Magic last year because of his role change and usage, as well as a decline in efficiency at the rim.

With the drafting of Jalen Suggs and the late-season comeback of Markelle Fultz, Hampton wasn’t the primary ballhandler as frequently.

For Hampton, that meant fewer opportunities to run the offense in a traditional sense — being the ballhandler in pick-and-rolls.

Hampton’s most frequent play type in Orlando’s offense was as the pick-and-roll ballhandler (33.8%), with the Magic scoring 0.7 points per possession on those plays.

He was involved in fewer pick-and-rolls this past season (22.8% frequency as the pick-and-roll ballhandler), with more of his usage coming in spot-up situations (28.2% frequency compared to last season’s 21.8%) and handoffs (9.6% compared to 5.2%).

Handoffs were a staple of Mosley’s offense, with the Magic leading the league in handoff frequency at 7.8%.

“Sometimes you fall into a lot of dribbling,” Mosley said. “The dribble handoff allows you to get direct line drives to a rim. When you dribble handoff or throw-and-go, it allows the defense to be in the coverage. For young guys, it allows seeing exactly what that coverage is.

“Sometimes if you’re driving in the pick-and-rolls, you don’t recognize what that big or guard is doing. The dribble handoff forces you to understand exactly what’s happening.”

A problem for Hampton was that those drives to the basket weren’t as fruitful as they were a year ago.

Hampton shot 33% on his 6.7 drives per game during the 2021-22 season, down from 43.4% on 4.7 drives. With his size (6-6), speed and athleticism, getting into the paint hasn’t been an issue for Hampton but finishing at the rim has.

He shot 49% (62-for-126) within four feet of the rim, a subpar mark for a combo guard, according to Cleaning The Glass, after making 68% (38 of 56) with the Magic during 2020-21. Hampton didn’t have the best control on his drives and didn’t show the strength to finish through contact.

Hampton’s process as a playmaker was up and down, resulting in an 11.6% turnover rate (20.7% in pick-and-rolls, 17.5% on handoffs). He’d make the right reads, but the timing on his passes would be off.

His defensive improvements were notable and his refined shooting from beyond the arc helped make the transition to a more off-ball role smoother.

Hampton made 35% of his 2.9 3-point attempts after converting 31.9% of his 2.7 attempts with the Magic his rookie season. After a hot start (41.7% on 3s in his first 29 games), his outside shooting tailed (30.6% in his final 35 games).

Hampton’s four-game absence because of health and safety protocols and 14-game absence because of a medial collateral ligament sprain and bone bruise in his left knee didn’t help his rhythm.

This offseason and the 2022-23 season will be crucial for Hampton, the No. 24 pick in the 2020 draft. He’s entering the third year of his rookie-scale contract, with a $4.22 million team option for the 2023-24 season.

Hampton made improvements in some areas while regressing in others. The question heading into next year will be which step will he take in his development.

This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Price at khprice@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @khobi_price.

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