A.J. Hammons, Purdue Boilermakers
Age: 23 (8/27/1992)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 7’0″, 278 pounds, 7’3″
Slash Line: .592/.545/.709
Season Averages: 24.6 MPG, 15.0 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.3 ORPG, 1.1 APG, 2.5 BPG
If not for his age, A.J. Hammons would be a first-round draft pick. He’s one of the Top 30 players on my big board, is one of the premier shot-blockers in this draft class, and has an overwhelming combination of size and power.
I’ve made this comparison before, and I’ll make it again: if developed the right way, A.J. Hammons could be this year’s Hassan Whiteside.
Hammons is a goliath of a human being, standing at 7’0″ and 278 pounds with a 7’3″ wingspan. Thus, it’s hardly surprising that Hammons averaged upwards of 4.1 blocks per 40 minutes in each of his past three seasons at Purdue.
If there’s nothing else positive to say about him—and there is—it’s that Hammons can alter shots with the best of the best.
Hammons averaged 13.3 rebounds per 40 minutes as a senior, which was easily the highest mark of his four-year career. He also made six 3-point field goals to the zero he’d previously converted, and while that isn’t a massive sample size, it’s enough to imply he’s working on the shot.
Hammons is older than the average prospect, but he’s a fascinating player whom the New York Knicks should evaluate.
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