[jcjp1993Participant]

In seeing the featured mock draft from this site in the past month, I have noticed that PJ Hairston was either left out of the mock draft or falling to the second round. Being left out completely is completely ridiculous and so is the idea that he will fall to the second round. Last year at North Carolina, he was the star of the team. He may not have put up big numbers throughout the entire season, but he did down the stretch when it mattered most. He lead them to a birth in the ACC chamionship game against Miami where they eventually lost but he averaged just under 21 points throughout that three game stretch. In the first round of the NCAA tournament he scored 23 in a game against Villanova and they ended up losing in the second round to Kansas where he struggled from the field but still scored 15 of his teams 58 points. He has star potential at the next level but at the very minimum he has the ability to be a solid wing defender and someone who can knock down the three. The idea that he would fall to the second round is a ridiculous one. And now he is showing in the D League that he has the ability to put up points in bunches. Sure it may not be elite competition but he has posted games of 40 and 45 in two of his first five games. He certainly deserves to be a first round pick in my eyes. Celtics at 20, Clippers at 25, Heat at 26 and Thunder at 29 all would make perfect sense for PJ Hairston late in the first round. The Celtics are not particularly deep at the wing position and they definitely don’t have one on the roster who can knock down three’s consistantly. He would be a major upgrade for their bench or could start next to Rondo if someone steals away Averey Bradley. The Clippers could certainly use an infusion of a young wing who can defend his position well with Matt Barnes aging, Jamal Crawford being a poor defender and Jared Dudley underperforming. Markel Brown is just a smaller version of Jamal Crawford and wouldn’t really be a smart pick here for them. The Heat would also make perfect sense for PJ Hairston as the future of their team is uncertain. With the big three having ETO options this offseason, they would be smart to draft someone who could possibly start from day one and help start a rebuilding process. And if the big three decide to return, having him to plug in on the days that Dwyane would need a rest instead of having to start Ray Allen or Roger Mason Jr. would definitely be an upgrade for their roster. And lastly the Thunder taking a point guard at number 29 when PJ is available and they already have Russell Westbrook and Reggie Jackson on their roster is not a wise choice. They could possibly lose Thabo in the offseason and would need someone to replace him. PJ is already a better version of Thabo and would greatly upgrade their roster. These are just four scenarios where PJ would make perfect sense and his draft stock might rise even more if he continues to dominate the D League as he has. Look for Adam Silver to be saying his name in the first round when the draft comes around this Jine. 

[tcox314Participant]

I am a UNC fan and watched every game he played in last year. He is as tough a wing player as they come. At 6’5″ he was asked to play some power forward and did a decent job of it. I see him as a 3 and D player right away but has shown he can also slash. The reason he is currently projected for the 2nd round is because no one has seeing him play this year. Even if you look at what he did last year, if you are not in people’s minds at the moment you drop off the map. I think he will keep up his dominance in the D-League (may never put up 40 again) and will creep into the 1st round. Him going late in the 1st will only benefit him because he will join a title contender and contribute coming off the bench. Let’s just hope he can keep his head on straight off the court.

[tcox314Participant]

I am a UNC fan and watched every game he played in last year. He is as tough a wing player as they come. At 6’5″ he was asked to play some power forward and did a decent job of it. I see him as a 3 and D player right away but has shown he can also slash. The reason he is currently projected for the 2nd round is because no one has seeing him play this year. Even if you look at what he did last year, if you are not in people’s minds at the moment you drop off the map. I think he will keep up his dominance in the D-League (may never put up 40 again) and will creep into the 1st round. Him going late in the 1st will only benefit him because he will join a title contender and contribute coming off the bench. Let’s just hope he can keep his head on straight off the court.

[terrancebowerParticipant]

The current mock doesn’t consider team needs. It’s essentially just a big board at this point until the draft lottery happens and draft positions are finalized, so they’re not actually saying OKC will take a PG, or that Brown will go to the Clippers. 

Having said that, I agree 100% that he’s underrated on this site for sure. I think the times he was left off the mock, it was due to him not playing and most people thinking that he would come back for a senior year or transfer if possible. Now that we know he’s declaring he should get a bit more love here. I mean, he’s a prototypical shooting guard with great size, great athleticism and a nice stroke, so I don’t see him lasting until the second round when it comes down to it. The site might be putting too much stock into his off-court issues. There aren’t a ton of solid shooting guard prospects in the end of the 1st. (Brown lacks size, not sold on Stauskas, Young won’t be around past 20th pick, Hezonja is a risk since we haven’t really been able to see him this year due to his limited playing time).

[terrancebowerParticipant]

The current mock doesn’t consider team needs. It’s essentially just a big board at this point until the draft lottery happens and draft positions are finalized, so they’re not actually saying OKC will take a PG, or that Brown will go to the Clippers. 

Having said that, I agree 100% that he’s underrated on this site for sure. I think the times he was left off the mock, it was due to him not playing and most people thinking that he would come back for a senior year or transfer if possible. Now that we know he’s declaring he should get a bit more love here. I mean, he’s a prototypical shooting guard with great size, great athleticism and a nice stroke, so I don’t see him lasting until the second round when it comes down to it. The site might be putting too much stock into his off-court issues. There aren’t a ton of solid shooting guard prospects in the end of the 1st. (Brown lacks size, not sold on Stauskas, Young won’t be around past 20th pick, Hezonja is a risk since we haven’t really been able to see him this year due to his limited playing time).

[JNixonParticipant]

 I think Hairston can be a good player for an NBA team. He looks like an NBA wing already, and he can shoot and defend. He needs to work on his handle, he isnt that unselfish, and his character is a problem, but I could see him being a rotation player in the NBA in time. He just has to keep working on it, but he can score naturally and without dominating the ball.

[JNixonParticipant]

 I think Hairston can be a good player for an NBA team. He looks like an NBA wing already, and he can shoot and defend. He needs to work on his handle, he isnt that unselfish, and his character is a problem, but I could see him being a rotation player in the NBA in time. He just has to keep working on it, but he can score naturally and without dominating the ball.

[Mad MaxParticipant]

 Holy crap have you ever thought of formatting????

[Mad MaxParticipant]

 Holy crap have you ever thought of formatting????

[surveParticipant]

 PJ is my dude…but without bias…he is a player who can go either way.  Its up to him and if he gets his head on straight.  I am not talking about off the court either, I mean on the court.  He reminds me of Deron Williams when he was at Illinois in the way that I dont believe Deron was in the best conditioning while in college and his athleticism was underrated.

When Deron got to the league, people were saying they didnt know he was that athletic….I mean these were analysts and scouts.   Like Deron he is one of those guys who it will be a task to stay in optimum shape/weight.  If so, he could be lethal.  

Someone here compared him to Wesley Matthews.  I always liken him to Nick Anderson.  Both are good comparisons, but PJ is not as good all around as them…but he definitely can get there.   He plays below the rim when he is on the ball, but when he is off, he shows he has lift.   He is very strong.  As I said, he has had conditioning issues in the past…if he can conquer that, everything else will fall in line.

 

 

 

[surveParticipant]

 PJ is my dude…but without bias…he is a player who can go either way.  Its up to him and if he gets his head on straight.  I am not talking about off the court either, I mean on the court.  He reminds me of Deron Williams when he was at Illinois in the way that I dont believe Deron was in the best conditioning while in college and his athleticism was underrated.

When Deron got to the league, people were saying they didnt know he was that athletic….I mean these were analysts and scouts.   Like Deron he is one of those guys who it will be a task to stay in optimum shape/weight.  If so, he could be lethal.  

Someone here compared him to Wesley Matthews.  I always liken him to Nick Anderson.  Both are good comparisons, but PJ is not as good all around as them…but he definitely can get there.   He plays below the rim when he is on the ball, but when he is off, he shows he has lift.   He is very strong.  As I said, he has had conditioning issues in the past…if he can conquer that, everything else will fall in line.

 

 

 

[Author]

Posts