Was Culver not guarding Hunter for most of that half? People still think his ceiling is a role player?
I think it is likely he is a really good role player but clearly his ceiling is higher than people have given him credit for.
Just in this game he hit dagger 3’s over contests, drilled a pull-up off a face up, baseline drive kick out in traffic, ripped down an offensive rebound over multiple defenders for a put back, hit a floater off the dribble.....People act like he just stands there and shoots 12 threes a game. He scores at all levels and has done so all year.
Again, I’m more bullish than average on Hunter but am realistic.....but with that said, a guy with his size, length, athleticism and shooting ability, someone like that has more than a role player ceiling in him.
I'm not thrilled to stump for Culver after a night like this...but it's worth pointing out how difficult his role was on that Texas Tech team. Tonight in particular, he was directly responsible for creating...what, maybe half of their shot attempts? In other words, they were running their offense through him more than all their other players combined. Hunter, in contrast, was used as an offensive creator for maybe 1/8th or 1/10th of Virginia's possessions.
Of course, he showed how he can have an enormous impact on a game even without dominating the ball, and guys who can create value without dominating the ball are essential to the success of any team. But that does make him a roleplayer, at least by my definition. Now, maybe the smart thing to do in a draft like this is to pick the great roleplayer. I'd be hard pressed to argue that Culver's sliver of a chance at stardom makes him the better value. But I still wouldn't be too excited about it.