The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Celtics, in need of a shooter, draft Hunter
Guard watches from Atlanta as he goes 28th overall.
Georgia State’s R.J. Hunter was selected by Boston with the 28th pick in the first round of the NBA draft on Thursday.
Hunter, a 6-foot6 guard, was an AP All-American honorable mention last season after averaging a career-high 19.7 points. He left Georgia State with a year of eligibility remaining after leading the Panthers to the third round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. His 30-foot 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds left knocked off No. 3 seed Baylor in the second round and helped Georgia State become a media darling in the tournament.
Hunter holds numerous school records at Georgia State, including career free throws (444), free throw percentage (.852), 3-pointers made (250), 3-point attempts (707) and points (1,819).
Hunter, his family and friends — about 100 in all — watched the draft from a private room in a sports bar in downtown Atlanta.
Hunter is known as a streaky shooter (he scored 12 of his team’s final 13 points against Baylor) who can score a variety of ways and who plays with a high basketball IQ.
Questions against him going into the draft were his ability to play manto-man defense because the Panthers played zone under his father and coach, Ron Hunter, and his ability to beat defenders off the dribble.
Hunter, a native of Indianapolis, attempted to answer those questions by participating in the NBA combine in Chicago, where he also worked out in preparation for the draft, and reportedly wowed several teams in individual workouts.
In mock drafts, Hunter was projected to go anywhere from No. 12 to No. 30, with most pegging him to be in the mid-20s.
“His range is as soon as he gets in the building,” ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said during the draft coverage.
The Celtics went 40-42 last year and need shooters, according to ESPN’s draft analysts. One analyst said Hunter was already the best shooter on Boston.
The 28th pick is slotted to receive $957,200 in the 2014-15 season, $1 million in 2015-16 and slightly more in the 2016-17.
The Celtics took Louisville point guard Terry Rozier with their first pick, No. 16 overall.