NBA Draft: Clemson's PJ Hall Flashes Translatable Role on Path to Elite Eight

In the modern NBA, stretch bigs are extremely valuable.

Clemson v Baylor / Stacy Revere/GettyImages

As the number of teams remaining in the NCAA Tournament continues to dwindle, competition is becoming even more intense. As this happens, the lights get brighter for each individual player. This is where the best players show up and perform, which is something NBA teams take seriously in evaluations. 

One player who has been extremely impressive during the NCAA Tournament is 6-foot-10 forward PJ Hall. He’s been a huge part of Clemson’s run to the Elite Eight, showcasing his floor spacing and ability to alter shots. 

Even before the postseason, Hall has long been an impressive player. He’s in his fourth college season with the Tigers, posting a career-high 18.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest in the regular season. He’s been a streaky shooter throughout his collegiate career, but did shoot nearly 40% from deep on 2.5 attempts per contest as a junior. 

Through three NCAA Tournament games, Hall hasn’t necessarily filled up the stat sheet, but he’s made a tremendous impact on winning. In a Sweet 16 matchup against the Arizona Wildcats on Thursday, he had his best outing of the tourney with 17 points and eight boards. He’s converted on 33.3% of his triples over the past week — which is a clip that could be better — but the fact that defenses have to play him honestly on the perimeter completely changes the way his teammates are able to operate in space. 

Furthermore, Hall has only produced one block here in the postseason but has really proven he can alter shots and reduce opponents’ ability to get easy looks near the rim.  He isn't a defensive playmaker, but can be a positive on that end moving forward.

When just looking at his numbers, Hall hasn’t put together the most flashy postseason campaign. But his modern skillset has been critical in the overall success of the Tigers. 

At the NBA level, the tools are certainly there for Hall. He has a strong frame and his shot mechanics would suggest he can become a more efficient and consistent shooter from the perimeter. While he doesn’t have star upside, there’s a role for a player like him on every team around the league. 

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