With little league-wide consensus behind Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and RJ Barrett, the door has been open for a clear No. 4 prospect to emerge. Hunter is quickly playing himself out of contention, as his so-so feel, streaky shooting and somewhat limited upside have stood out more than ever over the past three games. During this stretch Hunter is averaging just 10.3 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist in 35 minutes. Hunter's defense hasn't wavered, as he has checked up to four positions with outstanding technique, containing dribble penetration as impressively as any 6-8, 230-pound player in the country. He also has been active off the ball, rotating with verticality plays that often aren't registered as blocks.
But Hunter has looked lost offensively, lacking confidence in his catch-and-shoot 3 and struggling to create much offense from the mid-post or perimeter when he does choose to attack. Because of the nature of his release, opponents have been able to run Hunter off his spots. When he does shoot, there has been nothing fluid about his stroke considering his 42.4 3-point percentage, suggesting that he's best as an NBA 4. He remains a bit clunky as a ball-handler and lacks some creativity as a facilitator.
NBA spacing will help Hunter, and he has the potential to become an All-NBA defender in time. He's a high-floor, low-volume prospect likely to impact winning at a fairly high level -- somewhat in the OG Anunoby mold, though not quite as bouncy. But does Hunter have enough long-term upside for teams to feel comfortable using a top-five pick on him? He hasn't given NBA scouts reasons to think so, looking more realistically like an option in the Nos. 6-10 range.