Hairston is one of the most controversial players in the 2014 draft, and a potential lottery pick.
Every year there seems to be a player or two that enters the draft carrying a lot of baggage; a player that is loaded with talent and potential, but has a history of making bad decisions both on and especially off the court. This year, P.J. Hairston is probably the poster boy for that player. There’s so much to like in him as a player, but he has a lot of maturing to do and some teams will definitely be turned off by him due to his off-court antics.
Before we zone in on some of his negatives, let’s look at all the positives in PJ Hairston. Aside from Doug McDermott, he’s arguably the best three-point shooter in the draft. As a sophomore at UNC, Hairston shot 39.6% from deep which was fourth in the ACC. During the 2012-2013 campaign, Hairston averaged 14.6 PPG for the Tar Heels, which was tenth in the ACC. Hairston also boasted a very impressive PER of 27.1, which was best in the conference.
While shooting will be Hairston’s biggest weapon at the next level, he’s also a very explosive athlete that continues to improve finishing in traffic. He’s absolutely electrifying to watch as an in-game dunker, and he can bring the crowd to their feet in a hurry. A huge advantage to bringing Hairston into the fold is how key he is for floor spacing. Standing at 6’5” and weighing 220 lbs., Hairston is a prototypical SG.
Twelve games into the season with the Texas Legends, Hairston is absolutely dominating the D-League. The product out of Greensboro, NC is averaging 24.3 PPG which is third in the entire D-League. Hairston is doing this while shooting a very impressive 46% from the field, and 37.2% from behind the arc. On the defensive end, Hairston boasts a solid wingspan of 6’9.5” and has very active hands. As a sophomore at North Carolina, Hairston came up with 43 steals (1.4 SPG) which was tenth in the ACC, and he’s currently coming up with 1.9 SPG for the Texas Legends which is extremely impressive. Thanks to being a pretty good athlete, there should be no reason why Hairston can’t be at least an above average defender for years to come in the NBA.
The primary reason so many teams will be turned off by Hairston is due to his red flags off the court. After being the suspect of multiple offseason investigations, Hairston was not allowed to return to the University of North Carolina for his junior season which is why he’s currently playing in the D-League. A lot of scouts also say Hairston’s body language could use some improvement. To be simple about it, Hairston just really needs to become more mature.
One thing Hairston really needs to work on basketball-wise is moving the ball. Sometimes when he catches the rock, he’ll end up chucking up a heavily contested shot which results in a dead possession. He really needs to do a better job of finding his open teammates. Also, Hairston is never going to be a first option. At best, he can be a solid second option and even that may be a stretch.
Overall, Hairston is an extremely efficient player that can shoot the lights out when he gets going. I already mentioned Hairston’s tremendous PER as a sophomore at UNC, but he was also first in win shares at 23.3%. It’s easy to see why Hairston is so intriguing as an SG prospect, and I can’t see him falling out of the first round.
NBA Player Comparison: Aaron Afflalo
By Brian Emory
Follow @BrianEmory
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
