Thunder Draft Report: Clemson's PJ Hall

PJ Hall could help the OKC Thunder round out their front-court depth.

Mar 22, 2024; Memphis, TN, USA; Clemson Tigers center PJ Hall (24) reacts during the first half / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Despite battling for a top spot in the Western Conference, the OKC Thunder still have an absorbent amount of picks, including a projected lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Let’s take a look at PJ Hall and how he would fit in the Thunder system. 

Draft Profile 

• Height: 6'10
• Weight: 238
• Wingspan: N/A
• Age: 22
• School: Clemson

Quick Scouting Report

Hall is a four-year college player who has helped guide the Clemson Tigers to a sweet 16 run this season. The two-time All-ACC member could help a team round out their front court depth. With playmaking out of the post, shooting upside and his ability to work on the glass, Hall will be worth a flyer in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Strengths and Weakness

Strengths

Hall is an offensive weapon in the post ranking in the 86th percentile on post-up attempts. He can work with his back to the basket, face up, or just flash through the lane to generate easy buckets. The Clemson forward is able to redirect passes to give his offense an advantage even if he results in a hockey assist.

Hall runs the floor well in transition and can also be used as a big man trailing the play taking advantage of his outside shooting as defenders play too far back.

The Clemson forward is shooting 32 percent from beyond the arc and 79 percent at the charity stripe. With a clean form to boot, it seems likely Hall becomes an even better shooter at the next level with NBA spacing.

Understands the benefit of ground defense shooting his arms up vertically to reject or deter shots. Rarely gets out of position hunting swats despite averaging over a block a game.

Versatile screener who can quickly flip his hips and re-screen, put a body on guys and thrive as a slip screener.

Weaknesses

He can get too sped up around the rim really hurting his ability to finish shots deep in the paint. This shows up in the pick-and-roll where he is a middle of the pack big man as a roller.

At times, he is too predetermined on his next move, lasered in on shooting the ball within the trees instead of kicking out to an open teammate.

There should be questions about how good Hall can be as an overall defender at the next level. As you play in space more and are in danger of being drawn out on an island with top scorers, the Clemson product will lack the foot speed to keep up with these dangerous scorers.

Availability

• Draft Digest: 32
• Ringer Guide: N/A
• ESPN Mock: 53
• The Athletic: N/A
• Bleacher Report: 40
• CBS: N/A
• Draft Net: 36
• Tankathon: 41

Thunder Fit

Future Role 

Hall will likely never be a starter in this league, but the Clemson product should be able to carve out a savvy bench big role for himself in the association.

Rotation Fit 

Hall would be a player who might follow a similar path to Jaylin Williams in his first season in Bricktown. While Williams was thrust into a starting role due to injury, the original play was to bring him along with the OKC Blue - as the Thunder did at the start of the year - before making him a rotational big at the NBA level in the ladder half of the season.

Spending time with the OKC Blue would almost be a requirement for Hall to get up to speed on the Thunder system and adjust to NBA-level athletes across the board. Eventually, with the playmaking flashes and floor spacing potential, Hall could work his way into the Thunder rotation giving OKC a cost-controlled bench piece for a team that will eventually get pricey.

Hall would make for an interesting target trading into the second round or if somehow slips through the cracks as an undrafted target.

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