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The Philadelphia 76ers selected Louisiana-Lafayette point guard Elfrid Payton with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft on Thursday night.
#10 Elfrid Payton Jr - Philadelphia 76ers - 2014 NBA Draft pic.twitter.com/ZUA2vOZnXp
— 3030 (@jose3030) June 27, 2014
While he didn't appear on mock drafts until after the conclusion of the NCAA season, the sparsely-seen Sun Belt guard began impressing teams immediately, shooting as high as the top-8 in the pre-draft process. It's not hard to see why Payton would work out well, given his length, speed, and attacking ability. He's also only 20, despite being a junior, and Philadelphia clearly thinks there's further upside here.
Elfrid Payton couldn't quite get his #NBADraft hat all the way over his hair at first. pic.twitter.com/11ok1V14Z1
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 27, 2014
They may have to be patient as he adjusts to stiffer competition, and they'll need to have a shooting coach at the ready - Payton shot just 26 percent on threes last season and just 24 percent on 2-point jumpers. Otherwise, there's a lot to dream on here.
Payton is a bit of a strange fit for the Sixers, who selected point guard and Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams 11th overall last season. The immediate speculation was that one of Payton or Carter-Williams could now be on the move, which would make sense considering they are not a very obvious fit on either end of the floor.