Hyunjung Lee: 2022 NBA Draft Scouting Report

A shooting specialist of the highest order, Lee has athletic obstacles he will need to overcome for a legitimate NBA impact

Let’s keep this one short and sweet, shall we?

The scouting report on Hyunjung Lee isn’t too difficult to figure out. He’s an elite 3-point shooter, a major threat off screens and has a lethally quick release. At 6’8”, he can shoot over the top of most perimeter defenders and has mastered all the movements and reads for how he’ll be guarded. He’s a specialty shooter, and those guys can find homes in the NBA.

The deal with Lee is going to be about athleticism: making sure he isn’t a target on the other end of the floor and is efficient in the moments (as few as we hope they are) he has to put the ball on the floor.

The benefit of playing in Davidson’s system is that we now have no shortage of film clips for how Lee will fare in a movement-based role in the NBA. Bob McKillop’s entire offensive playbook was designed around Lee, allowing him to come off staggers, intricate screen-the-screener actions, and showcasing his IQ in situations when he gets face-guarded.

However, there is downside here. The entire system was rigged to help Lee succeed. When trying to evaluate his athletic limitations and how they could hold him back in the NBA, that may be a negative. Every curl or rim attack came with bigs elevated, as they were designated screeners above the free throw line. His rim numbers are saved by the lack of consistent help defense at the rim.

His teammates rarely relied on him to create. His attacking from a standstill is pretty poor, and he doesn’t have dynamic enough shot-making off the dribble to counter tight coverages.

At the NBA Draft Combine, Lee measured at a legitimate 6’8” with shoes on: a pretty good number for him. That length is a necessary part of the equation. Without it, he just looks like a subpar athlete with very little lift, underwhelming strength, and the ability to get exposed on defense.

So instead of trying to figure out who or what Hyunjung is going to be at the next level, the appropriate question to ask is: are the positives worth the negatives?