NBA Draft Scouting Report: Kansas' Hunter Dickinson
Hunter Dickinson
Center | Kansas
Height: 7'1” | Weight: 260 lbs
2024 Draft Age: 23.57
Daniel Dunn / USA TODAY Sports
Prospect Profile
Following three fantastic seasons at Michigan, Dickinson was one of the top transfer players on the market and landed in the Big 12 with the Kansas Jayhawks during the recent offseason. He'll look to continue making strides in his fourth year of college ball before making the leap to the NBA.
The 7-foot-1 center has a strong frame that allows him to be effective on both ends of the floor. Dickinson blocked nearly two shots per game last season and used his length well. However, he doesn't possess the quickness to defend in space and isn't all that effective on the perimeter. This could be an issue at the next level if he's asked to guard quicker modern forwards.
Perhaps the biggest improvement on the 7-footer over the past three years has been the ability to knock down perimeter shots. As a freshman, he attempted just four shots from deep and converted on none of them. From there, he shot 32.8% from beyond the arc on 64 total attempts as a sophomore. Last season, his attempts fell to 57, but his efficiency rose to 42.1% from three. This season at Kansas, if Dickinson is able to increase his volume from deep while maintaining that efficiency, it will be huge for his draft stock entering the modern NBA.
Even with an improved 3-point shot, Dickinson is more of a traditional big that does his work in the paint. He has good touch at the rim and is great at establishing position and sealing off his defender. Although he's an older prospect, he's extremely smart and is a good positional passer out of the post. When the defense collapses on him, he has the IQ to make the right pass to the open man, which was part of the reason Dickinson notched nearly two assists per game over the past two seasons. On the flip side, he can be turnover prone at times if he's tasked with doing too much or carrying too heavy of an offensive load.
Leading up to the 2024 NBA Draft, Dickinson will need to showcase versatility and growth away from the basket. Today's NBA doesn't favor traditional centers, as we've seen many extremely productive throwback college bigs go undrafted. At Kansas, he'll be in a new system which could be good for him, playing alongside other draft prospects like Kevin McCullar, KJ Adams and Elmarko Jackson among others.
Highlights
Draft Projection
Second-Round Pick in 2024 NBA Draft.
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