Scouting Report: Elfrid Payton, PG, Louisiana Lafayette
The darling of the pre-draft process, perhaps no player has upped his stock more considerably since the college basketball season ended than Elfrid Payton. Playing his ball at ULL in the Sun Belt Conference, the lightning-quick Payton suffered from a sort of "out of sight, out of mind" factor, like Damian Lillard at Weber State before him. As teams dive into tape and see him in person, however, they're realizing that posting one of just 12 player seasons averaging 19-5-5 in the past two decades is no fluke.
Background
| Position | DX Rank | ESPN Rank | Height w/o Shoes | Weight (lbs.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG | 25 | 17 | 6' 2.5" | 185 |
| Wing | Vert (in.) | Standing Reach | Hand Length (in.) | Agility (sec.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6' 8" | 35.5 | 8' 2.5" | 8.75 | 11.06 |
| NCAA Stats | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3FG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-14 | 19.2 | 6.0 | 5.9 | 50.9% | 25.9% |
| 2012-13 | 15.9 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 47.5% | 32.0% |
| 2011-12 | 7.2 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 44.8% | n/a |
Scouting Report
Strengths: Payton is built more or less how you'd ask for a point guard to be built, save for being a little on the wiry side - he's tall, he's long, and he's incredibly fast. He uses those tools effectively, too, slashing to the rim at will and playing some of the best point guard defense in the country. Despite being a junior, he's still just 20 years old, so there's a good argument to be made that NBA coaching and better teammates could push his ceiling even higher than it seems at present.
Weaknesses: So, here's the elephant in the room with Payton - he can't shoot. Like, at all. He shot 26 percent on threes and just 24 percent on 2-point jump shots. Plenty of point guards have succeeded despite entering the league without a strong jumper, but it's a weapon he's lacking and limits what backcourt mates he could conceivably thrive with. Other than the stroke and needing to add some bulk for the purposes of finishing at the rim, there's not a lot to dislike.
Highlight Reel
What to Expect on Draft Day
Initially thought to be on the first round bubble, Payton could now find himself as the third point man off the board on draft night behind Dante Exum and Marcus Smart. That means he could conceivably be taken in the mid-lottery and while ESPN doubts he'd get past No. 20, DraftExpress has wavered on having him slide even further down the first round. From what it seems, Payton remains polarizing, making his ultimate landing spot hard to discern.