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NBA Draft Profile: Chandler Hutchison
The former Boise State star expects to be taken in Thursday’s first round
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Hutchison could be the highest-selected Mountain West player since UNLV’s Rashad Vaughn in 2015 (17th overall)
–Chandler Hutchison Promised First Round Draft Selection By Chicago Bulls, Per Reports
–NBA Mock Draft Update: Chandler Hutchison Locked In As First-Round Pick
–Chandler Hutchison’s Stardom Stems From Years of Patience, Development
The 2018 NBA Draft will take place in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, Thursday.
Among the draft hopefuls is former Boise State star Chandler Hutchison, who projects to be selected in the mid/late first round after an accolade-filled BSU career.
Below is our breakdown of Hutchison and where he projects to hear his name called on Thursday.
Bio
Strengths
Attacking the basket
Hutchison might be the best finisher off the dribble in this draft class . He has a knack for making a quick and decisive dribble or power move on the perimeter, then throttle his way to the basket with either hand. Athletic enough to dunk or alter his shot through contact, he converted 72 percent of his at-rim attempts last season (Hoop-Math), the second-highest rate among first-round guard and wing prospects.
Passing ability
As well as Hutchison can score, his passing ability flies severely under the radar of scouts and media pundits. With an assist rate of 23.6, Hutchison was among the KenPom national leaderboard with the country’s best passers. The NBA is compromised almost entirely of knockdown shooters, which is great for a player like Hutchison who can effectively drive and distribute.
Defensive effort
He will have to adjust to playing strictly man-to-man defense at the next level, but Hutchison has shown that he has the awareness and savvy to play passing lanes, defend the opposing team’s top scorer, and remain active on the defensive side. His steal percentage rate of 2.8 ranked among the top 200 nationally this past season, according to KenPom.
Weaknesses
Perimeter shooting consistency
Even at 20 points a night, questions still linger regarding Hutchison’s jump-shooting consistency at the NBA level. He entered college with a very limited amount of offensive versatility but has since developed his perimeter game into a substantial portion of his scoring repertoire. Hutchison converted 34.2 percent of his two-point jumpers and 35.9 percent of his three-pointers, which aren’t bad marks by any means, but leave something to be desired.
Offensive rebounding
Even though Hutchison filled out his build, his offensive rebounding rate declined steadily his final three years in Boise. As a sophomore, Hutchison’s offensive rebounding rate was a sturdy 9.8 percent, which dipped to 4.5 as a junior, all the way to just 3.2 last season. Again, NBA x’s and o’s will be significantly different than what they were at Boise State for Hutchison, but this statistical trend isn’t all that comforting.
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Age
Age obviously isn’t something Hutchison can change, but it does have a major impact on draft stock. Moreover, scouts also take into consideration that the bulk of Hutchison’s productivity occurred as a 20- and 21-year old in a younger mid-major conference. Hutchison still showed up for big games (exemplified by his 44-point outburst against San Diego State in January), but NBA front offices almost always side with the younger players with high potential than the proven, older prospects.
Overall
Projected draft result: 19th overall selection by Atlanta Hawks
Hutchison is a formidable prospect who could make for a solid role player in the NBA through the course of a lengthy career. Most sources indicate Hutchison will fall somewhere in the late teens to mid-20’s of the draft. He doesn’t expect to be drafted later than 22nd, as the Chicago Bulls reportedly promised it would select the former Boise State star if he’s still available at No. 22.